Occam's Razor · William of Ockham

Occam's razor examples

Curated by · reviewed 2026-05-31

Occam's razor says that when explanations compete, prefer the one needing the fewest assumptions — it's more likely true and easier to test. Examples:

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5 examples of occam's razor

  1. A friend didn't reply

    'Their phone died or they're busy' is far likelier than 'they secretly hate me.'

  2. The light won't turn on

    Check the bulb and the switch before assuming the wiring failed.

  3. A doctor's diagnosis

    The common illness that explains all the symptoms beats a rare, elaborate one.

  4. A missing item

    'I misplaced it' beats 'someone broke in and took only this one thing.'

  5. Conspiracy vs mistake

    A simple error usually explains more than a vast secret plan (see also Hanlon's razor).

How to spot it in yourself

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