Limitations of Hanlon's razor

[seminarist]

There are kinds of stupidity that cannot be distinguished from malice and ought to be treated as such.

Comments

[diejacobsleiter.livejournal.com]

I prefer to think that malice is just one of the kinds of stupidity...

[komnatasmerti.livejournal.com]

Шикарная фраза. Сейчас в Соединенном королевстве очень актуальна...

[petro-gulak.livejournal.com]

Hear! hear!

[oryx_and_crake]

Или, выражаясь по-русски, простота хуже воровства.

[spamsink.livejournal.com]

This is equivalent to "if we cannot ascertain the absence of ill intent, we ought to assume ill intent". That's not how it works (or, at least, not how it is supposed to work) in the courts of this country.

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

No, not really. I don't say every kind of stupidity is like that, but some people in some positions have no business being stupid. Especially if we are talking not of individual persons, but of organizations tolerating stupidity in their midst.

[spamsink.livejournal.com]

some people in some positions have no business being stupid

Then these people should not be democratically elected.

[starshoi.livejournal.com]

If electorate elects such stupid people is this a sign of stupidity or malicious intent?

[spamsink.livejournal.com]

Hard to tell. Is refusal to vote stupidity or malicious intent?

[starshoi.livejournal.com]

Ask me: I've been maliciously avoiding these stupid elections for the last 25 years!

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

Who says anything about elections? Not every person in a position to cause harm by their stupidity is elected, you know.

[spamsink.livejournal.com]

Appointed by an elected stupid person, maybe?

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

You think private sector never employs idiots?

[spamsink.livejournal.com]

Boards of directors are somehow democratic, aren't they?

[seminarist.livejournal.com]

Somehow.

[ikadell.livejournal.com]

Not really....

[a7sharp9.livejournal.com]

Clarke's Corollary to Hanlon's Razor: Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice.

[a7sharp9.livejournal.com]

No, wait, that actually exists and is called Grey's Law.