“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
Hanlon’s Razor teaches us not to assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Understanding Hanlon’s Razor helps us see the world in a more positive light and prevents us from jumping to conclusions.
Hanlon’s Razor is attributed to Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who submitted it as an entry to Murphy’s Law, Book Two, a 1980 book by Arthur Bloch. The theory has been around longer though:
“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
“Misunderstandings and neglect create more confusion in this world than trickery and malice. At any rate, the last two are certainly much less frequent.”
Goethe
“There is very little deliberate wickedness in the world. The stupidity of our selfishness gives much the same results indeed, but in the ethical laboratory it shows a different nature.”
H.G. Wells
“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they cannot tell good from evil.”
Marcus Aurelias
The value of Hanlon’s Razor is most pronounced in relationships, business matters, and personal happiness as it can help you:
- Find the right explanation for people’s actions.
- Avoid the negative emotions associated with assuming bad intentions. when reasonable alternative explanations are available.
Benefits to using Hanlon’s Razor
- Help you assess situations more quickly and easily.
- Be seen as doing the right thing from a moral perspective.
- Facilitate your relationships with others. Specifically, giving people the benefit of the doubt.
- Prompt you to act as you otherwise wouldn’t.
Hanlon’s Razor is not an excuse
- Hanlon’s Razor doesn’t imply that actions never occur due to malice.
- Hanlon’s Razor doesn’t have to do with whether a certain action was justified or not.
Hanlon’s Razor allows us to give people the benefit of the doubt and have more empathy. Generally, people are as neglectful, distracted, tired, misunderstanding, and incompetent as us. It is rarely the case that they are malicious.