While packing up my office I rediscovered a quotation that has proven extremely valuable as a counterweight to paranoia: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
Attributed to Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, PA (but also to a Robert Heinlein), the principle is called a "razor" because it is a version of Ockham's (William of Ockham, c. 1280 - c. 1349) razor: When two or more theories are equally predictive, the one with the fewest assumptions is to be preferred.
Attributed to Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, PA (but also to a Robert Heinlein), the principle is called a "razor" because it is a version of Ockham's (William of Ockham, c. 1280 - c. 1349) razor: When two or more theories are equally predictive, the one with the fewest assumptions is to be preferred.