(Ockham’s) Occam’s Razor!

Occam’s Razor can help you with this!

The best picture we have. No iPhones in those days. Sorry!

“Occam’s razor, also written as Ockham’s razor, and lex parsimoniae, Latin for law of parsimony, is

• a problem-solving principle attributed to William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347), who was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher and theologian. The principle can be interpreted as stating,
• Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.” Wikipedia

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it?

Is this always true? It depends on your target audience!

Some people don’t want to listen. If they don’t listen, have you explained it simply enough? Does getting their attention become a part of the role of explaining?

I posit that it does!

What do you think?

What is the simplest answer, with the fewest variables?

If Occam’s Razor doesn’t help, listen to your dreams.

(1) I’m occasionally accused of ‘philosophizing!’ Usually, when an opponent wants to take me down, in public discourse. The tool is mockery! It actually works! This occurred in a meeting, a few years ago, in Washington. It was used in response to my following suggestion:

Proposal for reducing animal testing: “Toxicologists, should consider going vegan.” I backed it up with some crude calculations. It was the simplest solution, because the amount of science required to replace a rat is vast. Changing the attitudes of ‘experimenters,’ was the obvious solution (to me). But they would have to give up tasty, meaty, expense account dinners. Um! My idea fell on deaf ears.

(2) My work revolves around optimizing body-awareness for active healthy aging! Boy, it’s a hard sell!

Proposal for avoiding or curing plantar fasciitis, sports injuries, and aging (ageing) immobility: “Improve body-awareness to optimize movement.” It’s the simplest solution, because the alternative is an army of medical professionals and a mountain of pills! Not to mention the army of snake oil salespeople!

(3) I continue Ironman training in my 70s? Weird?

Proposal for staying out of assisted living: Enjoy the endurance training life-style, and eat good (locally grown) food.

I love thinking about these things!

Sometimes, solutions to my questions come in the form of dreams. Isn’t that neat!

How about you?

FitOldDog