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Hanlon's Razor

Comments repeatedly invoke Hanlon's razor, emphasizing that stupidity rather than malice adequately explains many actions and behaviors.

➡️ Stable 0.6x Politics & Society
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Top Contributors

mikeash (17) scotty79 (16) jacquesm (12) mnm1 (11) anigbrowl (9)

Keywords

OK reddit.com wikipedia.org MPG stupidity adequately explained stupidity explained stupidity adequately explained malice adequately malice adequately explained attribute malice attribute malice adequately malice adequately

Sample Comments

mikro2nd • Jun 21, 2016 • View on HN

"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"?

gadders • Aug 12, 2014 • View on HN

Fair enough. People are stupid :-(

mvid • Oct 17, 2019 • View on HN

Sometimes the reason is stupidity

alexozer • Aug 24, 2018 • View on HN

I think "never attribute to intelligence which can adequately be explained by stupidity" applies here.

renaudg • Oct 4, 2017 • View on HN

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

faridelnasire • Apr 1, 2022 • View on HN

You're underestimating people's stupidity.

InitialLastName • Jul 10, 2017 • View on HN

Somehow, also, a stupid person's idea of a smart person.

lostmsu • Jan 8, 2022 • View on HN

Don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity.

shin_lao • Jan 28, 2013 • View on HN

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

caymanjim • Jun 11, 2018 • View on HN

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