Hanlon's Razor
Robert J. Hanlon · 1980
"Never attribute to malice what is adequately explained by carelessness."
When something bad happens because of someone else's action, our first instinct is to assume they meant it. Hanlon's Razor suggests trying the simpler explanation first: they were busy, careless, tired, or uninformed. Most cruelty is closer to indifference than to intention.
The razor is a debiasing tool against the fundamental attribution error — we explain others' behavior by their character and our own by circumstance. Assuming malice makes conflict escalate; assuming carelessness leaves room to fix systems, clarify expectations, and preserve the relationship. It's not naive; you can still hold people accountable — just with the right diagnosis.
A coworker leaves you out of a meeting invite. Hanlon's Razor prompts you to first suspect:
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The explanation above is written with AI assistance. These are the originals — go to them to check it.
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