Hanlon's Razor - Mental Model series -9

"Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice.
Never assume stupidity when ignorance will suffice.
Never assume ignorance when forgivable error will suffice.
Never assume error when information you hadn’t adequately accounted for will suffice."

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When something bad happens to us, as egocentric humans we have a tendency to quickly judge that it was the result of malice - of some bad intent. For example, if someone failed to pick up a call , you normally jump into a conclusion that he/she does not respect you . A delayed input from your subordinate make you see him conspiring against your success .  But  How often you later found out that it was not really the case. People’s behavior, most of the time, has little to do with us. It is us who construct unhealthy and unhelpful narratives in our head.

By definition, Hanlon's Razor is "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity".

Hanlon’s Razor is warning us to be careful when assuming bad intent, because it’s much less likely that we tend to imagine! The world is much better place than we think.

Applying this in our day-to-day lives, allows us to better develop relationships, become less judgmental, and improves rationality. Hanlon’s razor allows us to give people the benefit of the doubt and have more empathy. In this way, the value of Hanlon’s razor is pronounced in relationships and business matters.

Like any other model , this also has its own limitations , it serves us well when we use this one along with other mental models to arrive at a better decision. For example

 Though very simple , this principle makes  us look at the world with a positive perspective. I leave you with this probing question - What if those people around you are also good-natured just like you? . Think!!

Footnote -
What are Mental Models ?
“It’s your mind’s toolbox for making decisions. The more tools you have, the more equipped you are to make good decisions. “
A mental model is an explanation of how something works. It is a concept, framework, or worldview that you carry around in your mind to help you interpret the world and understand the relationship between things. Mental models are deeply held beliefs about how the world works. 

For More , read https://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models