System Prompt Simplicity Bias
- Entity ID:
ent-20260419-47cbd0acc1c2 - Type:
concept - Scope:
shared - Status:
active - Aliases: simplicity bias, lead with action directive
Description
Documented design decision in the external user system prompt to favor simple over best-practice implementations (~5:1 ratio). Verbatim directives: 'Output efficiency', 'Lead with action, not reasoning', 'Go straight to the point. Try the simplest approach first.' Absent or weakened in the internal Anthropic-employee prompt. Overrides CLAUDE.md additions that conflict with it because system prompt is higher priority.
Key claims
- Internal Anthropic-employee prompt weakens the simplicity directives
- CLAUDE.md cannot override system-prompt simplicity directives
- System prompt explicitly directs simplicity and suppresses reasoning
Relations
- System Prompt Simplicity Bias --[depends_on]--> Prompt Priority Hierarchy
- System Prompt Simplicity Bias --[caused]--> Read:Edit Ratio Collapse