I looked over the draft this morning and I think the clearest option is still the simpler one.
If you pare back the extra details, the whole thing reads more naturally and feels easier to follow.
I would keep the structure as it is now, then tighten the opening so the focus lands faster.
I also think the middle section could use one concrete example, because that gives people something practical to react to instead of guessing what you mean.
When I tried explaining it out loud, the version with the shorter sentences sounded more confident and less crowded.
I can revise it tonight if that helps, or I can wait until you decide which direction you want.
Either way, I do not think anything is broken here.
It mostly needs a calmer edit, a little more spacing, and one last read in the morning.

I tried your suggestion this afternoon and it worked better once I stopped overthinking every step.
The main issue was that I kept restarting instead of finishing one pass and adjusting after.
As soon as I gave myself a smaller goal, everything became more manageable and I made real progress.
I would probably do the same thing again tomorrow, just earlier in the day when my head is clearer.
If you want, send over the latest version and I can look at it with fresh eyes.
I am usually better at spotting gaps when I am not the one who wrote the first draft.
Also, the shorter ending you mentioned is definitely stronger.
It feels calmer, and it leaves enough room for the reader to decide what they think without being pushed too hard.
I think you are actually very close.