Hanlon's razor

Hanlon's razor

English

Etymology

Named like Occam's razor, for a Robert J. Hanlon.

Proper noun

Hanlon's razor

1. The adage "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
   • 1980 October, quoting G. Gordon Liddy, “Playboy Interview: G. Gordon Liddy”, in Playboy‎, volume 27, number 10, Chicago, ISSN 0032-1478, page 211:

     McCord may have bungled the taping of the internal doors, all right, but remember Hanlon's Razor, which is a maxim that states: "Never blame on malice that which can be fully explained by stupidity."

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Hanlon's razor.