Four Razors to Sharpen your Decision Making

Written by Shawn Funk

A philosophical razor is a rule of thumb that you can use to fast-track your decision-making by shaving off unlikely conclusions or avenues of thought. It is important to note that these rules don’t offer proof, so they can be easily dismissed by others in a serious argument. Still, they help you narrow the options in your mind, hopefully leading you to a quicker, more efficient, and in some cases, friendlier outcome. Sometimes it is appropriate to use a razor as a starting point for an investiga-tion, then widen your parameters if the truth eludes. Enjoy!

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle

This economic axiom suggests that 20 percent of inputs are responsible for 80 percent of the outputs, meaning that not all inputs are equal; some inputs will lead to greater output while others will yield less (Guy-Evans, 2022). Shave off the inputs that are slowing you down. Identify and act on vital inputs that maximize your efficiency. When studying for a test, reading the entire textbook word for word is about the worst thing to do. It is better to focus your reading on core concepts and formulas rather than trying to remember everything. Similarly, when you are crunching for time to clean your apartment for a get-together, you focus on the most disgusting parts of your area with the hope that no one will discover how much of a slob you really are. Identify and focus on the areas that give you the greatest return; save the rest for later, you will get to it.

What you see is all there is (WYSIATI)

In Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman declares that “what you see is all there is, “or WYSIATI for short (Kahneman, 2013, p. 85). This is not really a philosophical razor, but it is a good way to hedge yourself against some of the vitriol in the media. In a nutshell, it implores you to suspend your judgment when information is lacking or to probe for more information if it is important. Kahneman’s concept suggests that humans make snap judgements based on readily available information in their heads or immediate environment. Kahneman argues that we do this automatically with a lazy part of the brain that is wired to “jump to conclusions” (Kahneman, 2013, p. 79). Even when information is scant or unreliable, most of us will still use the available information to craft a story, meaning that we will ignorantly pass judgment on the whole based on an insignificant fragment of information that may or may not be reliable (Kahneman, 2013). Why do you think smear campaigns work so well for politicians? WYS-IATI! Save yourself from looking foolish, suspend your initial judgements, and seek out more information.

Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which could be adequately explained by stupidity.

I am sure that if everyone kept this in mind daily, our entire planet would thrive, wars would end, and we would all hold hands. This razor suggests that hate and ignorance go hand in hand and that patience is a virtue we must cultivate. Ever had road rage? Every year there are incidents of road rage that lead to death. You must ask yourself, how could complete strangers be driven to such malice toward each other? Ignorance is often construed as hate, which leads to, well, hate. How many times have you accused the driver in front of you of intentionally cutting you off? Targeted malice? Maybe, but more likely, that person was distracted or just didn’t see you: cool it. Most people are not hateful; they are just ignorant: it’s not a crime; it’s an epidemic. My point is, do not assume the actions of others are borne from malice. You will get it wrong. We all need to have a little more patience for each other. Maybe giving some strangers the benefit of the doubt isn’t such a bad thing.

I will add another related bias called the fundamental attribution error, a principle in social psychology, to Hanlon’s bit because it is similar and equally great. We make this error when we attempt to explain someone’s behavior through their disposition rather than their situational context (Ravindran, 2012). Interestingly, studies have shown that situations are a far stronger determinant of human behaviour than one’s own disposition, giving credence to the adage desperate times call for desperate measures (Sabini et al., 2001). We never know what others are going through, so we shouldn’t profess to know why they act the way they do.

Occam’s Razor: Law of Economy

This principle says that if you have two explanations for the same problem, the simpler one is more often correct (Duignan, 1998). How many times have you told an elaborate lie to your parents and were shocked when they told you what you really did? Sure, some stranger broke in while the parents were gone last weekend. Then they invited their friends over, trash-ing the house. You were at Sally’s place when it happened. Nothing could be done—wait, some stranger broke into your home and then had a party there, really? The parents didn’t need to know Occam’s razor to figure out what actually hap-pened here, but in practice, it won’t always be this clear. Still, always choose simplicity over complexity unless you have a good reason to believe otherwise.

Resources

Duignan, B. (1999). Occam’s Razor. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 15, 2023, from https://www. britannica.com/topic/Occams-razor

Guy-Evans, O. (2022, May 12). Pareto Principle (The 80-20 Rule). Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/pareto-principle.html

Kahneman, D. (2013). Thinking, fast and slow. Anchor Canada.

Ravindran, S. (2012). Profile of Lee D. Ross. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(19), 7132–7133. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1205295109

Sabini, J., Siepmann, M., & Stein, J. (2001). Target article: “the really fundamental attribution error in social psychological research”. Psychological Inquiry, 12(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1201_01

In the animated movie Wall-E, the Earth has become so polluted and uninhabitable that all humans have been evacuated to a massive spaceship, where they spend their days consuming endless amounts of food and entertainment while robots take care of all their needs. While this may seem like a far-fetched scenario, there are many similarities between the world depicted in Wall-E and modern-day life.

One of the most striking similarities is the reliance on technology. In Wall-E, the humans are completely dependent on technology to survive, from the robots that serve their every need to the massive spaceship that houses them. In modern-day life, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, from smartphones and social media to smart homes and self-driving cars. While technology has undoubtedly made our lives easier and more convenient, it has also made us more dependent on it, to the point where many people would struggle to function without it.

Another similarity is the overconsumption of resources. In Wall-E, the humans are shown consuming massive amounts of food and other resources, without any regard for the impact it has on the environment. In modern-day life, we are also guilty of overcon-sumption, with the average person consuming far more resources than is sustainable for the planet. From single-use plastics to fast fashion and disposable electronics, we are constantly creating more waste and depleting the Earth’s resources at an alarming rate.

The lack of physical activity is another similarity between Wall-E and modern-day life. In the movie, the humans have become so lazy and sedentary that they are unable to move around without the help of machines. Similarly, in modern-day life, many people spend the majority of their time sitting in front of screens, whether it be for work or leisure. This lack of physical activity has been linked to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Finally, both Wall-E and modern-day life highlight the dangers of complacency. In the movie, the humans are content to live out their lives on the spaceship, consuming and entertaining themselves without any regard for the state of the planet they left behind. In modern-day life, many people are similarly complacent, either unaware or unconcerned about the impact their actions are having on the environment and future generations.

In conclusion, while the world depicted in Wall-E may seem like a distant, dystopian future, it is not so far removed from the reality of modern-day life. From our reliance on technology to our overconsumption of resources and lack of physical activity, there are many similarities between the two. If we do not take steps to address these issues, we may find ourselves heading down a path that leads to a world not so different from that of Wall-E.