• DrownedRats@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    8 months ago

    Do not attribute malice to that which can be explained by stupidity… But never fully discount it.

      • pixelscript@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        7 months ago

        It gets clearer if you flip it around to sound less poetic:

        Do not attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.

        That which can be explained by stupidity, do not attribute to malice.

        Or perhaps in more direct words someone might actually say:

        If you can explain it with stupidity, it’s probably not malice.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        edit-2
        7 months ago

        You are walking on the street and a big fat guy bumps into you. Assume they are just clumsy don’t assume they were trying to run you down.

        This doesn’t mean be unaware, this doesn’t mean ignore red flags, this doesn’t mean to not have a healthy level of caution. It means assume good faith from deeply imperfect people until evidence no longer supports it.

      • Shard@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        8 months ago

        It means if you don’t know if someone did something because they had evil plans or were fking stulud, its safe to assume they were fking stupid at the point of the incident.

        Especially if the evil plan would have been convoluted and required things to align just perfect for the plan to be successful.

        • hglman@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          7 months ago

          But it is not safe to make that assumption. It’s wildly dangerous to label evil as stupid. Giving evil people an in is how we get to where we are.

          • Shard@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            7 months ago

            I was just explaining to the commenter above what was meant by the saying. I never said it was correct in all situations.

            If you have an issue with the saying, you’re free to give Robert j. Halon your feedback.

            • hglman@lemmy.ml
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              7 months ago

              Unfortunately you are also responsible for what you say and do.

          • Aqarius@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            7 months ago

            It’s called Hanlon’s razor, a take on Occam’s razor, the unstated part is “all else being equal”.

    • root_beer@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      7 months ago

      I quit believing in Hanlon’s razor years ago when I realized that it’s clearly both. Both stupid malice and malicious stupidity.