Razors

Occam's or Ockham's razor (plurality should not be posited without necessity) is the idea that the simplest solution is usually the correct one. It is not a perfect heuristic, but it is usually a good one, and can often help one decide which hypothesis to pursue. Today, as I was reading, I found a reference to Hanlon's razor.

Hanlon's razor is an adage (the name purposely references Ockham's) that says, "Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity." How amusing and true that is.