self-improvement.comOccam’s razor
Start with the simplest useful explanation.
1:17 · English narration · Captions in the video
Try it today
When you find yourself adding a story to an uncertain situation, ask: what do I know, and what am I assuming? Keep room for new evidence.
Transcript
Your friend hasn’t replied. Your mind starts filling in the silence: “They saw it. They’re upset. Now they’re ignoring me.” But what do you actually know? There’s no reply. That’s all.
Occam’s razor is a thinking tool. No shaving involved! The “razor” is a metaphor: it trims away unnecessary assumptions. When explanations fit the facts equally well, start with the one that needs fewer assumptions.
Maybe your friend is simply busy. That’s one possibility, without the extra story.
The name comes from William of Ockham, a fourteenth-century English friar and philosopher. He used an older principle: don’t add things an explanation doesn’t need. It remains a tool in philosophy and science.
In everyday life, that can help you catch an extra assumption before you act.
So, before you send that worried follow-up, pause. Ask yourself: “What do I know? What am I adding?” Maybe they’re making dinner. Give them time, then check in. Fewer assumptions. A clearer next step.
A little wiser, every day. From Self-Improvement dot com.