What most naturally follows?

How to simplify absolute values
Determine your expression.
Simplifying a numerical argument is an easy process: because absolute zero represents a distance between your number and 0, your answer will always be positive. Start by performing any operations within the absolute value bars to determine your expression.
For example, say you are trying to simplify the absolute value of an expression,-6 + 3. Since the entire expression is within the absolute value bars, do the addition first.