[Opinion] Hanlon's Razor?

[Xenophon]

Brett Stevens, who honestly thinks he can save civilization by writing 4-5 philosophy term-papers per week on his website, has coined a new glib meme: "Hanlon's Razor." Apparently seeking to drive a stake through the heart of conspiracy theories en toto, he cites the new dictum as stating: "Never explain by malice, what can be adequately explained by stupidity." Which sounds a ponderous postulate indeed. But then one can turn dog that chases its own tail and retort, "Never explain by stupidity what is more adequately explained by malice." My take on the two is that coining pithy maxims is a symptom of an individual or cause's utter impotence. Feel free to comment (or curse.) (Or, yeah, advise me to contemplate Venus with a rose-colored monocle in my third eye and a day-glo buttplug in my brown one.)

 

[Roma]

Fortunately stupid people are never malicious and unfortunately malicious people are never stupid. Thus the two categories never overlap.

Those that only manage binary thinking will be pleased

 

[KjEno186]

Fortunately stupid people are never malicious and unfortunately malicious people are never stupid.

________________________________________

Unfortunately, you're wrong on both ends of a false dichotomy.

 

[Roma]

It seems that irony is out of fashion

 

[KjEno186]

It seems that irony is out of fashion

I understand a dry sense of humor in person. With text one must include some form of additional visual cue to make sure the point doesn't fly over heads. But if you were just jesting, welll so was I. Got to admit it's very easy to find "stupid criminal" memes on the internet.

 

[Xenophon]

Fortunately stupid people are never malicious and unfortunately malicious people are never stupid. Thus the two categories never overlap.

Those that only manage binary thinking will be pleased

Sorry, I am too rusty and my inner magnet too weak to have caught the irony on the first go. Got it now.

 

[KjEno186]

While it is hilarious to look at what poor stupid criminals do, nothing beats the criminally elite for both malice and stupidity. Three years ago Time magazine told us all about what the "global stakeholders" wanted to do, whether you wanted it or not. Then the super honest news media, when caught out on it, tried to backpedal by calling it a "conspiracy theory."

BTW, I saved screenshots of these pages back in 2020 because, for some reason, history likes to rewrite itself. I haven't checked back to see if the web pages are still there.

 

[Xenophon]

Yeah, old time villains used to snarl, "Curses! Foiled again." Now they look affronted and innocent whilst bleating, "Fake news! Fake news!"

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

While it is hilarious to look at what poor stupid criminals do, nothing beats the criminally elite for both malice and stupidity. Three years ago Time magazine told us all about what the "global stakeholders" wanted to do, whether you wanted it or not. Then the super honest news media, when caught out on it, tried to backpedal by calling it a "conspiracy theory."

BTW, I saved screenshots of these pages back in 2020 because, for some reason, history likes to rewrite itself. I haven't checked back to see if the web pages are still there.

Well, we could pitch a new show to former President Trump, based on Tiger King called MAGA King. Now we just need to sketch out a plot. There is an alternate idea based on Florida Man, called Florida Don.

 

[Xenophon]

Why would we want a plot? Much as I loathe the Oval Office's current occupant, I gotta admit that, 2017-2021, Tuesday's Trump was a stranger to Thursday's Trump, and both were trumped and stumped by weekend Donald. Really, I recall for months at a time he'd revise and reverse his "China policy" about that often. So the movie you suggest can be three hours of improv.

Anyone recall the old WW2 flick, "Hell is for Heroes"? The 90 minute film that seems to last 4 hours? I understand the director had a broad outline for the story arc, but no written script. The actors had to wing it. We'd be doing the same here. (After his first film, "Hell is For Heroes", Bob Newhart said he nearly quit acting in disgust.)

 

[KjEno186]

The other way of looking at things is that those who are maliciously stupid actually believe they are doing "good." What is good for them is that you own nothing and eat bugs. Saving the environment is good, right?

It really explains the mentality of partisan politicians and the media outlets who think that only the "other side" is capable of being wrong, and it spurs them on more zealously in pursuit of extreme policies. Nuance is dead. The adults have left the room. The world is being run by a bunch of spoiled rich kids (some of whom are over 80 and don't know when to retire).

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

So would we include demons doing maliciously stupid stuff, or would the culprit be the LHP practitioner doing stupid malicious stuff?

 

[KjEno186]

So would we include demons doing maliciously stupid stuff, or would the culprit be the LHP practitioner doing stupid malicious stuff?

I think spirits have their own personalities. I started reading Allan Kardec's The Spirit Book, which formed the basis for the 19th century Spiritist movement. Briefly stated, people get contact most easily with the spirits on their level of morality. It's not hard to imagine a stupid person making contact with low level spirits who then take advantage of him or her. That said, I don't think all demons are "evil." For example, one could ask President Buer to help one understand one's obsessions and be directed to information in one way or another that provides the desired knowledge. So, considering your question, I'd place the blame on the practitioner. The interstate highways aren't evil, but lots of people die on them every year due to mistakes of some kind. Practice safely, practice wisely.

 

[Robert Ramsay]

Hanlon's Razor dates back to at least Robert Heinlein in the '40's (may even be a corruption of Heinlein's Razor) and the same thought has occurred to quite a few people since Goethe. If Brett Stevens is claiming it as his own, he's a very naughty boy.

 

[Roma]

people get contact most easily with the spirits on their level of morality.

Quite so. Hence the importance of pure motives. Desire for power is not pure

 

[stalkinghyena]

Desire for power is not pure

Irony is doing just fine.

 

[Xenophon]

Hanlon's Razor dates back to at least Robert Heinlein in the '40's (may even be a corruption of Heinlein's Razor) and the same thought has occurred to quite a few people since Goethe. If Brett Stevens is claiming it as his own, he's a very naughty boy.

If he's said it was his, I'm guessing he'd have called it "Bright Brett's Blade" or some such. He wrote a whole long article on it was all. His article, though, links the term to a site mentioning Heinlein, David Hume, and "a computer programmer," Robert J. Hanlon. (See Mardy Grothe, "Neverisms" 2011). So I guess that absolves the lad of plagiarism. He's just recommending the notion to folks' attention, in his inimitably pupil-aeternas way. Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Brett feverishly writes term papers.

Post automatically merged: Nov 17, 2023

Quite so. Hence the importance of pure motives. Desire for power is not pure

Didn't Parzifal win Heaven with his anger that he had not yet grabbed the Grail? Or was ol' schriftstelling Von Eschenbach himself prey to impure thoughts?