Hanlon's razor

Hanlon's razor is an adage, or rule of thumb, that states:^[1]

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

It is a philosophical razor that suggests a way of eliminating unlikely explanations for human behavior. It is purportedly named after one Robert J. Hanlon,^[2] who submitted the statement to Murphy's Law Book Two: More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong! (1980).^[1] Similar statements have been recorded since at least the 18th century.

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