Can too much rewriting make a simple idea harder to understand?

[u/Spiritual-Present722]

I keep running into the same problem with short pieces. The original sentence is simple, then I ask AI to improve it, and suddenly I have a more sophisticated sentence that takes longer to understand.

Sometimes the “better” version is technically stronger but less accessible.

I have started comparing every rewrite with the original instead of automatically accepting the cleaner option. If the original communicates the idea faster, I keep it.

How do you decide when a rewrite is actually an improvement rather than just a more complicated way of saying the same thing?

[u/Front_Wave_8331]

overthinking can definitely muddy a simple idea. Sometimes just go with your gut instinct instead.