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Occam's Razor

The solution or explanation with the fewest amount of steps or assumptions should often be preferred in order to simplify the solution down to its essential factor or factors.

  • In philosophy, Occam's razor (also spelled Ockham's razor or Ocham's razor; Latin: novacula Occami) is the problem-solving principle that recommends searching for explanations constructed with the smallest possible set of elements.
  • It is also known as the principle of parsimony or the law of parsimony (Latin: lex parsimoniae).
  • Attributed to William of Ockham, a 14th-century English philosopher and theologian, it is frequently cited as "Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem", which translates as "Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity", although Occam never used these exact words.
  • Popularly, the principle is sometimes inaccurately paraphrased as "The simplest explanation is usually the best one."
  • This philosophical razor advocates that when presented with competing hypotheses about the same prediction, one should prefer the one that requires the fewest assumptions and that this is not meant to be a way of choosing between hypotheses that make different predictions.

Occam's Razor - Wikipedia

Write A List Of Goals

Write down a list of your goals and dreams, because writing thoughts and ideas down is the first step to making them come to life.

  • A list of your short and long-term goals can be a great motivator, as well as a trigger list to help generate new projects.
  • I also like to have a list of areas of focus, the different roles that I play, each of which comes with a different set of tasks and goals.

12 Lists that help you get things done - Lifehack.org

Don't Be A Sucker

Don't be a sucker.

  • Dramatizes the destructive effects of racial and religious prejudice
  • This US National Archives educational film illustrates how extremist ideologies use prejudice to divide populations and dismantle democratic societies. It highlights the importance of protecting the rights of all citizens to safeguard individual liberty and prevent the rise of authoritarian control

Don't Be A Sucker - US National Archives - YouTube

Only Use Positive Technology

Each technology we create is transforming society and we need to be careful about considering if and when different technologies may be affecting us either negatively or positively.

  • A report commissioned by the National Science Foundation and made public today speculates that by the end of this century electronic information technology will have transformed American home, business, manufacturing, school, family and political life.
  • The report warned that the new technology would raise difficult issues of privacy and control that will have to be addressed soon to ''maximize its benefits and minimize its threats to society.''
  • There will be a shift away from conventional workplace and school socialization. Friends, peer groups and alliances will be determined electronically, creating classes of people based on interests and skills rather than age and social class.

Study Says Technology Could Transform Society - NY Times (1982)

Turn Problems Into Challenges

Turn your problems into challenges or goals that you can overcome or accomplish in order to be happier and improve your life.

  • Happy people will see problems as challenges, as opportunities to explore new ways of doing things, expressing their gratitude for them, understanding that underneath them all lay many opportunities that will allow them to expand and to grow.

15 Powerful things happy people do differently - Purpose Fairy