There isn't really much of an analogy here, and on a general note, trying to approach a new problem by seeking an analogy to something we already know isn't really the best way to gain insight: simply put, not everything we are about to see is going to be like something we have already seen, or even close to it.
With that in mind, if you really wanted to compare this to the varieties of English, I can offer this analogy:
The word "curb" in American English has a number of meanings related to 'restraint', or it can also mean 'a raised edge of pavement'.
However, in British English, when used to mean the latter, the word is spelled "kerb."
So, if you are familiar with British English and want to learn American English, all you have to do is remember to always spell it "curb" and never "kerb."
However, if you are going the other way, you have to remember the new spelling of "kerb," but also only to use it with a certain meaning, and not the others.
In this example, going from British to American English is easier than the other way round, just as going from traditional to simplified characters is easier than the opposite.
Yet another example could relate to the distinction between "shall" and "will," which some people make, and many (if not most) don't. If you are used to making the distinction, and want to stop (go "simplified"), it is effortless: all you have to do is to start using "will" all the time. However, going the other way you'd have to learn the rules of using it, or face the risk of drowning:
(a) "I shall drown, no one will save me!"
(b) "I will drown, no one shall save me!"
Which one do you choose to be rescued?
Answer here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shall_and_will#Uses_of_shall_a...