Hanlon’s Razor

In lieu of the constant barrage of nefarious suspects

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

…or thoughtlessness, socialized norms, overwhelm, trauma responses, or any other number of causes other than evil. At least that’s what I’d add, which is far more eloquently amended by Douglas W. Hubbard’s "clumsier but more accurate corollary":

“Never attribute to malice or stupidity that which can be explained by moderately rational individuals following incentives in a complex system. People behaving with no central coordination and acting in their own best interest can still create results that appear to some to be clear proof of conspiracy or a plague of ignorance.”

I’m oversimplifying, but I think we can stick Hubbard’s corollary under the heading of the self-centered default of mindlessness, for which we are all guilty at times, except perhaps Thich Nat Hanh. A “razor” is a heuristic designed to eliminate unnecessary thinking. Hanlon submitted his as a joke, but like so many jokes, there’s a painful and relatable truth at the core.

Hanlon’s Razor is an invitation to second guess paranoid thinking patterns, which can be hard to escape from, especially if you’ve been genuinely harmed by bad actors in your life.

If you get attacked by a wolf in sheep’s clothing, then anyone and everyone becomes a potential threat. If I live in a world where a parent or partner could be so cruel, then I must be ever-ready for the next unpredictable attack.

Like an abused animal, some of us are more likely to bite every unexpected hand first and ask questions later. Our confirmation bias becomes an insidious reinforcer of beliefs seeded in prior harm, but we can flip the inner script to get the momentum moving in the other direction.

To break free from this kneejerk irritability and actually adopt Hanlon’s Razor as a new place to start requires two things: a regulated body and mindfulness.

A good measure of how I’m doing in this arena on any given day is driving. In my enclosed anonymity, filters fly out the window. I either condemn and defend what’s mine, or smile and wave everyone in with a chuckle at the ridiculous futility of rushing.

While I don’t care for the human I become when I expect the worst from others (life is a house of mirrors), the outcomes for these two different versions of me go far beyond embarrassment. Suspicious defensiveness is exhausting and destructive to our relationships, leading to disproportionate conflict and avoidant reactions. We can’t be our best selves when we need to fend off a wolf.

Stories that assume others are out to get us cast us as a victim. We react strongly because we feel powerless and afraid.

The new mantra: More than likely, a simple mistake has been made. Even the smartest people make a lot of mistakes.

What a relief! When I see other beings as just tired people doing the best that they can to get through an overwhelming day (ahem…just like me), we are on the same team. My nervous system doesn’t register a threat. I don’t regress into survival mode. I feel lighter, more compassionate, more authentic. At the very least, I am disarmed. And since I am also a mirror to others, I enjoy reciprocation from strangers that further affirms my safety rather than a dog-eat-dog apocalyptic nightmare.

Of course, there are truly bad apples out there, even sophisticated ones who are always two steps ahead as they enact evil schemes to control, use, and profit from others’ losses.

The initial assumption that a mistake has been made doesn’t negate our power to accept hard realities about specific people based on patterns of behavior, and to then set and maintain appropriate boundaries with those people. In fact, that’s all pretty critical if we are to ever trust anyone again. We get to learn from our experiences, while moderating a pendulum that can swing too far toward an expectation of ill intent.

This shift may be extra hard right now when genuinely immoral people are testing the (total lack of) limits on their power after quite effectively turning us against one another over years of strategic propaganda.

Paranoia is the name of the domination via distraction game, so offering an abundance of grace to our fellow frenzied worriers might just be a critical disruption to our current status quo.

“For most daily frustrations and confusion, Hanlon’s razor is a powerful reminder to approach problems with a spirit of generosity. It’s a way to reduce drama and stress and find practical solutions instead of descending into blame and escalation.”

- Shane Parrish, Farnam Street

Authoring Beauty Practices:

Paid subscribers can join me on a deeper journey to embody each week’s lessons through poetry, writing prompts, and intentional practices.

Are you a mental health professional? Reach out for full access at no cost. It’s a small way I can support our shared community.

Find this week’s Authoring Beauty Practices here.