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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
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1980 October, G. Gordon Liddy, quotee, “Playboy Interview: G. Gordon Liddy”, in Playboy, volume 27, number 10, Chicago, →ISSN, page 211:McCord may have bungled the taping of the internal doors, all right, but remember Hanlon's Razor, which is a maxim that states: "Never blame on malice that which can be fully explained by stupidity."
1980, Arthur Bloch, Murphy's Law, Book Two: More reasons why things go wrong!, Los Angeles: Price/Stern/Sloan, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 52:HANLON'S RAZOR: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
1988, Lynne A. Kuczynski, Pure-bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette, volume 105, American Kennel Club, page 165:Whenever you're tempted to feel that other exhibitors are out to get you, remember Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
1991, Minutes of the Meeting - Association of Research Libraries, Volumes 118-120, Association of Research Libraries, page 26:In planning, also we use Hanlon's Razor, which is: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
2003 December 29, Eric Raymond, “Jargon File 4.4.7”, in Eric S. Raymond's Home Page:Hanlon's Razor: prov. A corollary of Finagle's Law, similar to Occam's Razor, that reads "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
2017 September 30, Nate Silver, “The Media Needs To Stop Rationalizing President Trump's Behavior”, in FiveThirtyEight:But at many other times, journalists come up with overly convoluted explanations for Trump's behavior ("this seemingly self-destructive emotional outburst is actually a clever political strategy!") when simpler ones will suffice ("this is a self-destructive emotional outburst."). In doing so, they violate both Ockham's razor and Hanlon's razor — the latter of which can be stated as "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."