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Hanlon's Razor should be more well-known.

I like to modify it and call it Hanlon's Scythe:

"In the absence of clear evidence, don't automatically attribute to malice, that which can be trivially attributed to any other cause"



We always phrased it as "Presume good intent."


Who's we?


That's fine. Let's all forgive drunk drivers, they just want to get home, no matter how much carnage they cause. It's a stupid phrase that enables all sorts of black stupidity.


You've taken it a half-step too far, but yes; if you assume that drunk drivers are, in fact, not setting out to comment manslaughter, then you can see what causes it and push for taxis/uber and actually get people off the road. Or you can assume malice, demonize them and end up like MADD.


Absence of malice doesn't absolve from responsibility. The mental model is still accurate in your example.




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