Hanlon’s Razor — Never Attribute to Malice What Can Be Explained by Stupidity

Hanlon’s Razor — Never Attribute to Malice What Can Be Explained by Stupidity Hosted by David Peterson from the DMP Education Group

Welcome back to Smarter in 10 — the podcast that brings big ideas to curious minds, one clarity-boosting episode at a time. I’m David Peterson from the DMP Education Group, and today we’re unpacking a mental shortcut that might just help you lower your stress, improve your relationships, and stop wasting energy on people you think are out to get you.

It’s called Hanlon’s Razor, and it’s as simple as it is powerful:

“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

Let’s get smarter.

We’ve all had the thought: “That person is being difficult on purpose.” Maybe it was a coworker who left you out of an email chain. Or a driver who cut you off. Or a friend who flaked on your plans without explanation.

Our brains — especially under stress — default to storytelling. And often, the story we tell is about intentional harm: they’re rude, they’re passive-aggressive, they’re out to sabotage me.

But what if... they’re just overwhelmed? Or careless? Or distracted? Or operating with completely different information?

That’s the logic behind Hanlon’s Razor. It’s not about excusing bad behavior. It’s about choosing the most likely explanation — and more often than not, the cause isn’t malice. It’s forgetfulness. Poor communication. Or simple human error.