# The Occam’s Razor Fallacy: The Simplest Solution Is Not Always the Correct One - Anne-Laure Le Cunff Synced: [[2023_11_30]] 6:03 AM Last Highlighted: [[2023_08_20]] Tags: [[explainer]] [[model]]  ## Highlights [[2023_08_20]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h89r1jnw570gwfqd6ejxr9fd) > Also called the “law of parsimony”, Occam’s razor is a mental model which states that “it is futile to do with more what can be done with fewer”—in other words, the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. While William of Ockham is often credited with the formulation of this mental model, it’s an ancient one. Aristotle wrote: “Other things being equal, we may assume the superiority of the demonstration which derives from fewer postulates or hypotheses.” Ptolemy stated: “We consider it a good principle to explain the phenomena by the simplest hypothesis possible.” [[2023_08_20]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h89r28cnpdt0p7qqtk3n9cqw) > First, there is actually [no empirical evidence](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/263/5147/641) that the world is simple, and therefore simpler solutions are more likely to be correct. In fact, many scientific theories have become more complex over time, as researchers would uncover new data. [[2023_08_20]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h89r20yzcg9k6gjf2ga1x8y1) > Second, in a real-world setting, it’s impossible to compare explanations and solutions with all other things being equal. You cannot run A/B testing for your life and there is no alternative for critical and logical thinking. [[2023_08_20]] [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01h89r37yng0pzkjm6m5vwkzck) > Occam’s razor may be useful in very specific scientific settings. For example, doctors use a version of it—“when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras”—to ensure they go for the simplest diagnosis to explain their patient’s symptoms. And even this approach [has been criticised](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6033608/) by researchers.