Hanlon's razor: A mental model to THINK more rationally AND make FEWER ENEMIES
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Hanlon's razor is a mental model or way of thinking from philosophy that can improve our reasoning when dealing with the actions of others. Watch this video to learn more about this heuristic or thinking principle that can be a potent tool in your self-improvement toolbox. Hanlon's razor is especially useful for conflict resolution and improving our tendency to jump to conclusions about the intent of others that may otherwise lead to anger and negative social conflicts.
Mental models in general were made popular by Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's business partner. Mental models are cognitive tools made out of ideas that allow the user to obtain an advantage in thinking ability by harnessing the big ideas of different disciplines. As you continue to learn about mental models and other principles, you can progress through life more effectively and if you follow us on this journey of self-improvement, your life should leave a trail of success clues for others to follow.
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resources cited:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_razor
referenced book 1:
amzn.to/31SSifq
referenced book 2:
amzn.to/2Hkunh1
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
rationalwiki.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor
fs.blog/2017/04/mental-model-hanlons-razor/
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That artwork is amazing, as you explain. Thank you for the knowledge and art that was presented
Thanks, while I do do some art and most diagrams myself, a lot was purchased with the software so I can’t take too much credit there :)
So with the current mess with politics and media, there is a new "razor" I'd like to propose. "If it's boring, chances are it's true." Things that are boring (like scientific journals and epidemiology) don't do very well with gaining attention to make ad revenue, nor are they effective enough to help gain political support.
U just read my mind 😄😄👍
Cuckoo Phendula I agree and suggest that this be proposed to Zucherberg and other captains of social media so that they can modify their algorithms accordingly.
what is the Razor called?
it’s called Phendula’s razor, isn’t it? :)
@@superrinusblick4222 After bouncing around with a few ideas, I think I may now refer to it as "non-pathos razor." Since "pathos" refers to "appeals to emotion," information that's dull and boring are pretty antithetical to that. Conversely, information that makes us fearful and angry may not necessarily be untrue, but definitely needs more skepticism behind it since there's a higher potential to manipulate people by invoking their limbic systems.
Since learning about Hanlon’s razor, I have started thinking in a more “meta” sense about ignorance itself. True, many instances that can be attributed to malice can also be contributed to ignorance. However, one must ask oneself, what is the cause of that ignorance? Is the ignorance inherent in someone’s culture or upbringing? Perhaps there is a certain amount of comfort in a stable worldview that makes ignorance a safer option than rigorous examination.
Seems like ignorance isn’t really a good excuse, it just needs to be responded to differently than if it were malice. You might enjoy our video series on cognitive biases if you haven’t seen them already…
th-cam.com/video/gdQzH2nK9CE/w-d-xo.html
Stay curious :)
Whenever I act maliciously towards someone I hate, I always remind them of this adage.
lol, it goes well with gaslighting.
It's not that other people can't be evil, it's that we often waste too much time validating our point of view rather than just moving on to a more satisfying solution. Most things that are problems to us, need to be resolved regardless of the other person's intention...and we often don't have time to figure out how they mean something. On the flip side, sometimes we have to decide whether to extend trust to a person, and then it really does matter what their intentions are.
I like your openness and insight. I feel that intentions can change but still have importance in my considerations.
This channel needs more attention and scientific mental models
Excellent explanation and reference. Subscribed!
Thank you for the straightforward video explanation with examples.
Please keep making videos. These are great.
That's the golden rule in Kindergarten and school and it would be nice if more educators would follow this principle.
But when children don't learn to take care we end up with adults who - in theory - are responsible for their carelessness and yet they still need to be taught like children.
Great video! Found it helpful, thanks
This is just the presumption of innocence. The issue is partiality though. People have no problem being charitable when it comes to someone who shares their identity, they get cynical when it's a perceived outsider.
Subscribed from this vid
interesting stuff
But if we take this to its logical conclusion wouldn't we therefore assume that nobody has malicious intent? And isn't neglect and stupidity a form of malice in a way?
"Adequately explained by stupidity or carelessness"
So if a waiter carrying a full tray spills water on you, Hanlon's Razor.
If someone in the street throws a bottle of acid at you, not so much.
No, that is not what it means. It says don’t START from an assumption of malice because people generally have good intentions and don’t wish to cause harm. When you assume malice from the get go, you are taking the position of guilty until proven innocent. It sets up a bias in your mind that is very hard to walk back on if isn’t true.
@@CharlieNoodles thanks
Someone throwing a bottle of acid is obviously malicious
Ironically, it's one of a number of skills required in accident investigation. It links in with a number of skills to find RCA (Root Cause Analysis).
Isn't the Office based in Scranton, Pennsylvania? Kind of ironic
Ha Ha! I guess I have an entirely different issue, because I get angry when I am surrounded by incompetence and carelessness. I guess that's my problem ;)
YO! i sent a work email out then just left... this vid pops up... they were this, 100%... fawk.
so the logical justification for this model is, “you probably remember times in your life when you thought somebody was being malicious but it was actually carelessness”?
I use it more as an order of operations. I try assuming carelessness before assuming maliciousness. There are always exceptions though.
All your Contents are clear and informative. Please think of presenting in a different format. Current videos are distracting our attention from the content
Thanks for the comment, earlier videos such as this one utilize the hand drawing effect (a rather distracting element) which is something that I have done away with in newer videos such as the video that came out yesterday: th-cam.com/video/82sGMleJtKs/w-d-xo.html Hopefully all the newer videos I create will be well received.
@@ProgressLeavesClues ya but i like this alot .. hey i like watching the drawings hey 🙆♂️
quite pog
I am not sure whether making FEWER ENEMIES is true. If someone says that he is visited by ghosts and having dialogues with them, and if i am rational enough to not believe him, i could call him either a liar or a mentaly ill person... which of those two would offend him more?
The second option, Hanlon's Razor way.
Thanks
with that in mind you soon start to see how incompetent and ignorant everybody seems and that there is nothing to do about.. (its deciding if you live in a stupid or mean world ^^)
lol, sometimes it can look like both. :)
When I was a kid, I got hurt a LOT because people assumed the worst. That, coupled with my desire to not be like them and not hurt people the way I was hurt, led me to what you call "Hanlon's Razor". I'm 28, now, and I'm only just now learning (for the first time) that someone gave a name to it.
This idea is faaaaar older than Bonaparte. Something similar can be found in the Bible, under the concepts of grace, mercy, and forgiveness-cuz even if you forgive a person for something they didn't actually do (i.e. forgiving what you perceived as malice), it has the same end result.
As an adult, I've also come to see that "Hanlon's Razor" is faulty-as, thankfully, you pointed out at 3:16. So while it can be a good starting point, it ultimately falls apart, as does anything based in probability rather than knowledge.
A problem with people is a reliance on "adequateness". People attribute things to malice because it's an adequate explanation. "Hanlon's Razor" only flips this. And while it can lead to generally more harmonious relationships, it can also lead to injustice.
In the end, justice is only possible when there is absolute knowledge and absolute power to enact judgement. We all crave justice. This is why we need God, for only he has the knowledge or power to guarantee justice. But we also need mercy for ourselves, for none of us is perfect or is completely innocent of committing injustice. This is why we need the cross of Christ, for without his sacrifice, there is no mercy.
If you want real wisdom, seek a relationship with Jesus.
Stop trying to preach your shit in everything.
@@TMoBD "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Isn't this Occam's razor?
There are some similarities and differences... th-cam.com/video/b4Cxvfpi_AM/w-d-xo.html
It's great contents except the animated visuals that distracting.
This would be the opposite of Machiavelli’s razor
Thats a good one 👍🏻definitely has some predictive power.
...or HR?
I'd recommend "shaving" the animated hand. It actually detracts from the content.
I was recently harmed by carelessness. The result is indistinguishable from malicious harm. It could have been avoided. *Carelessness is malicious*, as are incompetence and stupidity. Regardless of how I resolve it internally, the real harm cannot be undone. Forgiving the person is likely to invite further harm to myself, even if accidental.
I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve found forgiving benefits ourselves more than anything. If I forgive someone I don’t necessarily forget. Trust may be gone but so is resentment. 🤷♂️
Shouldn't that be FEWER enemies?
Thanks! Apparently I should have signed up for Grammarly premium after all :)
road rage.
A single word summary: Pause
Along the same lines of Fundamental attribution error.
No it's just what I shave with smh 🤦♂️
LoL
I see what you did there, but probably it just was your shaving razor.
I find that hand extremely distracting and detracts from the message delivery. I would do away with it. Great content but I couldn't finish the video.
When will people stop using those draw-as-you-speak animations? Don't they understand how annoying it is to watch? No matter how good your video otherwise would be, I immediately stop watching, and downvote.
Sorry to hear that. It is an older video and as the effect has become more common I heard the desire to do without it. You may enjoy this newest video that does not include the hand drawn effect as I experiment with better ways to create videos.
th-cam.com/video/9p6FEoEpLeU/w-d-xo.html
Sounds like a you problem.
The worst video I ever heard
I will assume you are not being malicious.