the law of focused flavor

ok, so it's not really a law, but the opposite is: the law of diminishing returns. i learned this while waiting for my cell phone to charge in the back of a bookstore. because i happened to grab "the french laundry" cookbook to pass the time i now know that the first bite of food is usually paramount, followed by "just ok" and down from there. most cooks, the author explained, counter this by adding too many flavors which only confuses the diner's tastebuds. to really wow the palate, he says, focus the flavor instead by using one entree and four different distinct sauces or a very distinct sweet or savory. this is so true in cooking, art and life. i am suspect, for example, when a restaurant menu tries to be not only breakfast-lunch-dinner but has way too many things going on in each category. how can they possibly specialize? in art, it never bodes well when i don't know when to stop--the best pieces come before things can turn muddy; when i resist the urge to "just add one more thing". and, in life, less is more time and time again. when you are tempted to get more, bigger or better to satisfy you in any area of life, you can come back to this simple law of focused flavor to win out over diminishing returns.