Hanlon's razor

Hanlon 's Razor ( translation from English: Hanlon's Razor ) is an eponymous wisdom that makes a statement about the most likely due to human error. One might Hanlon 's Razor as a household word designate, if not the assignment to a particular author would be unsafe.

"Never attribute to malice That Which can be perform adequately Explained by stupidity. "

" Do not write anything to malice what is adequately explained by stupidity. "

Other formulation:

"Never assume malice When stupidity will suffice. "

" Never take malice in if stupidity is sufficient. "

Hanlon 's Razor is the content between the pessimistic assumption of the probable victory of adversity and stupidity, as they are formulated in countless variations of Murphy's Law, and Occam's razor, a logical conclusion to the law of causality of an event in the presence of incomplete information.

Formation

One says to the emergence of two statements that Robert J. Hanlon was a real person and it can be attributed to this saying. According to theory, the saying came as reported by Hanlon in the 1980 released book Murphy 's Law Book Two. More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong.

The other common explanation for the emergence writes the saying the science- fiction author Robert A. Heinlein to; the notation " Robert Hanlon " was a mis spelling or corruption of " Robert Heinlein ". In the short story Logic of Empire or German auction on Venus from 1941 Heinlein wrote:

"You have attributed conditions to villainy did simply result from stupidity. "

"You have conditions to villainy returned that are solely based on stupidity. "

Comparable winged words

There are several authors observations about human nature, which be stated the overwhelming likelihood of stupidity against ill will. Goethe wrote in 1774 in Werther:

" [ ... ] That misunderstandings and inertia do more mischief in the world than trickery and malice. At least the latter two are certainly rare. "

An anonymous quote is often attributed to Einstein:

" Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity. But the universe I 'm not sure yet. "

Schiller leaves in the Maid of Orleans, the figure of the English generals Talbot say:

" Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain. "

The German General Kurt von Hammerstein - Equord meant for the evaluation of his subordinate officers:

" I distinguish four types. There are clever, diligent, stupid, and lazy officers. Most take two properties together. Some are clever and diligent, the need in the General Staff. The next are stupid and lazy; they make in every army of 90% and are suitable for routine tasks. Who is clever and lazy at the same time, qualifies for the highest leadership duties, because he brings mental clarity and mental strength for heavy decisions. Beware you have to before, which is stupid and hardworking at the same time; the one can not carry any responsibility because he will always cause only mischief. "

Sir Bernard Ingham, press secretary at the time of Margaret Thatcher, embossed with Cock -up before conspiracy ( conspiracy botch instead ) a laconic variant of Hanlon's Razor, in which he expands the erroneous assumption of ill intent on conspiracy theories:

"Many journalists have to fall for the conspiracy theory of government. I do Assure you thatthey would produce more accurate work if They adhered to the cock -up theory. "

"Many journalists fall for the theory behind the government a conspiracy would stand. I assure you that these journalists would work more accurately when they would instead attach the botched theory. "