The Simplest Answer is Usually Correct

One day when I was about 5 years old, my mom walked into my room and with a look of shock on her face exclaimed “what happened in here?!”  I quickly explained “I know!!!  A bomb went off and scattered my toys everywhere, but I wasn’t hurt by it, so it’s okay.”  Aside from getting out of trouble by being unbearably adorable, my explanation failed to convince my mom because she lives by the saying “the simplest answer is usually correct.” 

In fact, that idea that the simplest answer is usually correct is a logical principle called Occam’s Razor.  I often use this principle to evaluate news stories.  For example, which was more likely- a) Rep. Anthony Weiner accidentally publicly tweeted a picture of himself that he meant to send privately, or b) there was a right-wing conspiracy to hack his Yfrog account (which uses a randomized email) and post an inappropriate picture to make fun of Rep Weiner’s name and distract him from saving the economy?

Now, I’m not saying that the simplest answer/explanation is always correct.  Life is complex, and important issues often have more gray area than black and white.  However, if we first seek to find the most simple explanation and evaluate it, we can often avoid the madness of trying to piece together the likelihood of a more complex explanation.

What complex issue are you working on today?

Editor’s Note: Breanne Harris is the Solutions Architect for Pearson TalentLens.  She works with customers to design selection and development plans that incorporate critical thinking assessments and training.  She has a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology and has experience in recruiting, training, and HR consulting.  She is the chief blogger for Critical Thinkers and occasionally posts at ThinkWatson.  Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter for more of her thoughts.