Occam's Razor - Mental Model Series -8

“Nature is pleased with simplicity, and affects not the pomp of superfluous causes”  - Newton

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We often forget what wise men say about simplicity -other things being equal, simpler theories are better. In other words ,when presented with competing hypothetical answers to a problem, one should select the one that makes the fewest assumptions.

 However, Occam's razor only applies when the simple explanation and complex explanation both work equally well. If a more complex explanation does a better job than a simpler one, then you should use the complex explanation.

For our convenience sake, let us tray to define what is Occam's Razor

When presented  with competing  hypothetical answers to a problem, one should select  that makes fewest assumptions.

Here is a real life example of how we applied this principle . My wife had to decide between two offers of employment towards end of her contract at that time. From the beginning ,She was very clear on her priorities . Both offers provided same work- life balance and same customer location and  in terms of monetary benefits , both offers are almost equal. But one offer came from current vendor  and another from another vendor both are for the same client. We have gone for the current vendor as we had to make less assumptions. Since work life balance is her first priority and she is familiar with working conditions and expectations at the work place.

If you take medicine for example , when many explanations are possible for symptoms, the simplest diagnosis is to be tested first . Let' say a child comes with a runny nose , it probably has the common cold than a rare birth defect . I hope you get it now .

A philosophical tool as simple as often very easy to be misused . So please remember the following -

1. This law of simplicity is only applicable when all explanations in question are equally well.
2. Simple and simplistic are not exactly the same. 

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