Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

"Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice".


My dad used to say: "Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained with stupidity", but I love yours too.


Otherwise known has "Hanlon's Razor" [0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon's_razor


Which is great for politeness, but largely rubbish for working out what people might be up to, given that people not only regularly disguise malice as stupidity, but in some cases find it highly entertaining. Hence the existence of - https://www.reddit.com/r/MaliciousCompliance/


This is a play on Arthur C Clarke:

  Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.


“But don’t dismiss stupidity.” Is the ending of the better variation of that quote I think.


I love you.




Consider applying for YC's Summer 2026 batch! Applications are open till May 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: