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Occam’s razor is one of the most useful, (yet misunderstood,) models in your mental toolbox to solve problems more quickly and efficiently. Here’s how to use it.
Occam’s razor (also known as the “law of parsimony”) is a problem-solving principle which serves as a useful mental model. A philosophical razor is a tool used to eliminate improbable options in a given situation. Occam’s is the best-known example.
Occam’s razor can
be summarized as follows:
Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.
In simpler language, Occam’s razor states that the simplest explanation is preferable to one that is more complex. Simple theories are easier to verify. Simple solutions are easier to execute.
In other words, we should avoid looking for excessively complex solutions to a problem, and focus on what works given the circumstances.
Occam’s razor can be used in a wide range of situations, as a means of making rapid decisions and establishing truths without empirical evidence. It works best as a mental model for making initial conclusions before the full scope of information can be obtained.
How the Occam Razor Works
It is a thinking pattern that believes that what can be simplified should not be complicated, in other words, the simplest explanation is most likely to be correct.
The public believes that this theory was proposed by William of Occam, a logician from England in the 14th century (c. 1285-1349). But in reality, this is a more ancient mental model.
Aristotle wrote, "In other equal circumstances, we may consider arguments from fewer assumptions to be superior."
Ptolemy said, "We believe that using the simplest assumptions to explain phenomena is a good principle."
William of Occam's viewpoint later became the first principle of philosophical reasoning in Isaac Newton's Principles of Mathematics: "For things in nature, we can only acknowledge the reasons that are both real and sufficient to explain their appearances."
Even Albert Einstein created his own,
more subtle version of Occam's Razor: "It is almost undeniable that the ultimate goal of all theories is to make the basic elements that cannot be simplified as simple and few as possible, without giving up on sufficient expression of a single empirical data."
At least it can be said that the Occam razor is a popular mental model. But before we continue, let me explain why the Occam razor is called a razor? This mindset eliminates competing solutions and leaves behind the simplest explanation. It cuts and sets aside more complex theories, so it is vividly called a "razor".
All of this sounds fine, and we don't want to complicate things either. However, using an Occam razor also carries risks.
Alternative Strategies
for Occam Razors
It is important to understand the neuroscience of decision-making before choosing a strategy. Although we are willing to believe that most of our decisions are rational, the reality is far from that. When we make decisions, many things happen in the brain, and many parts of the cerebral cortex are involved. Emotional regulation also begins to play a role, and the "fight or run" response will prompt us to make decisions as soon as possible. In short, our control is smaller than we imagine.
That's why using decision strategies can help us guide our choices in a more rational way. There is a strategy that I particularly enjoy using, which is the DECIDE framework. This framework was designed by Professor Kristina Guo in 2008 and consists of six steps:
1. defining the problem
2. establishing the criteria
3. considering the alternatives
4. identifying the best alternative
5. developing and implementing a plan of action
6.evaluating the solution
Conclusion
Whether you choose to use the Occam Razor or the DECIDE framework, it is important to understand the dynamic system and use second level thinking when making decisions.
Our choices may have unexpected consequences, and only by considering multiple alternative options can we minimize the occurrence of errors.
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