Hanlon Razor Quotes & Sayings

The prisoners stand on the other side, three of whom require their own cages. He hands out the Eucharist through a sort of mail slot in the grate. They have slots in each cage, he tells me, and when they do the sign of peace, they can reach out to each other. One time an inmate held up his fingertip to a tiny hole in the grate. Fr. Williams placed his hand against the grate as well. "It really sums up the whole thing. You have this human being reaching through a cage to touch another human being within a bigger cage, within a prison. — Kerry Weber

One of the quainter quirks of life is that we shall never know who dies on the same day as we do ourselves. — Philip Larkin

You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity. — Robert A. Heinlein

Well, I think if more people had more applause, it would make them feel better. I often give my wife a round of applause. If the meal is very good I give her a standing ovation. — Tom Baker

Health care probably contributes a lot more to the common wealth than finance. — Timothy Noah

Knowledge is never too dear. — Francis Walsingham

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.2 — Steven Pinker

Explanations involving conspiracy, greed, and even stupidity are easier to generate and accept than more complex explanations that may be closer to the truth.

A bit of wisdom called Hanlon's Razor advises us 'Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.' I would add a clumsier but more accurate corollary to this: 'Never attribute to malice or stupidity that which can be explained by moderately rational individuals following incentives in a complex system of interactions.' 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. — Douglas W. Hubbard

Throw roses into the abyss and say: 'here is my thanks to the monster who didn't succeed in swallowing me alive. — Friedrich Nietzsche

Programmers and marketing people know how to get into your subconscious - they spend millions of dollars researching colors, shapes, designs, symbols, that affect your preferences, and they can make you feel warm, trusting, like buying. They can manipulate you. — Richard Hatch

The choice is yours. Certain death, or death uncertain. Choose. — James Dashner

Needless to say, under either system [socialism or fascism], the inequalities of income and standard of living are greater than anything possible under a free economy
and a man's position is determined, not by his productive ability and achievement, but by political pull and force. Under both systems, sacrifice is invoked as a magic, omnipotent solution in any crisis
and "the public good" is the altar on which victims are immolated. — Ayn Rand

Focke's razor: Never attribute to plot holes that which is adequately explained by miracles. — Kevin Focke