Hanlon’s Razor can be summarized as follows:
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
In other words: don’t assume the worst intention in the actions of others. This helps you see the world in a more positive light, stop negative assumptions, and improve relationships.
Like Occam’s Razor, it forces us to be more rational and simplifies our thinking. It allows us to give others the benefit of the doubt and have more empathy. Because of this, it’s a useful model in business and relationships.
It helps us overcome some of our biases:
- Confirmation bias: when we expect malicious intent, we are likely to attribute it whenever possible. If we think the world is against us, we will view anything (negatively) happening to us as the world being against us.
With Hanlon’s Razor, we can instead think that these things are happening due to one’s inability or neglect.
- Bias from disliking/hating: the more we dislike someone or something, the more likely we are to attribute their actions to malice. If someone you dislike does something wrong, you judge it to be intentional. If your lover does something wrong, you judge it to be an accident. The situations are identical, only the person involved is different.
Use Hanlon’s Razor in these situations: always assume, at first, neglect or incompetence instead of malicious intent.
Ask yourself: could this have been an honest mistake, an accident or the result of incompetence?
Of course, while people have malicious intent far less often than we think, it does occur.
That’s why, as with Occam’s Razor: reevaluate the situation when new evidence comes to light.
How to use Hanlon’s Razor
Do we get angry when children make a mistake?
Or when toddlers learn to walk, fall over and break something as a result?
Most of us know that there is no malicious intent at that age. So, why would it be any different when dealing with adults? Or why would the actions of one person be an accident but the same actions done by another have malicious intent?
Do yourself a favour, assume incompetence or neglect and experience a happier life.
One final tip: Ignore the news or use Hanlon’s Razor every time you watch or listen to the news. It always advocates malicious intent. More often than not, it’s a simple accident. But news channels rarely update the story and their perspective when contradicting evidence comes to light. So, again: don’t assume malicious intent and live a more positive life.