Simple Rules: Hanlon's razor

There are some basic principles about people that just make life easier to live -- less complicated. And I'm all for making complex things simple. Hanlon's Razor goes something like this: "Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by ignorance."

In my experience, we are all quick to judge the intent of others. Many of us are fully convinced we've got a special knack for reading people, knowing what they meant, etc. To those with this inclination, I recommend they stop trying to "mind read". What I call "mind reading" is where we take phenomenal communications or data (spoken or written words, actions, body language, silences, etc.) and assume we know the causal thought or intent behind them with complete clarity. To me it's plain and simple -- people are too complex for this. Have you ever noticed that you have a lot on your mind sometimes? Would you want somebody to judge you based on what might be written all over you face at the most inopportune time? I doubt it. What I'm saying is that, we are as complex in our thoughts as in our outward communications.

So, if you see malicious intent or social deviousness, remember that most of the time ignorance is at work. When we are attempting to read into peoples words or actions for forethought or intention, we often assume we know what people are thinking or what the causal trigger was for their expressions, when we often don't have the whole picture or we're flat out wrong.

For me, Hanlon's Razor ties in with several other simplifying things I like to live by. Taking people at face value, (even when they're lying). Giving people the benefit of the doubt (even when they don't deserve it). And, allowing for and forgiving ignorance, (because we may want to be forgiven our own ignorance on any given day).