Understanding & Explaining

Question 1

Hanlon’s Razor

Answer 1

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by carelessness

Question 2

Occam’s Razor

Answer 2

Among competing hypothesis, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected

Question 3

Fundamental Attribution Error

Answer 3

The tendency for people to place undeserved emphasis on internal characteristics of the agent (like character or intention) rather than external factors to explain another persons behaviour.

Question 4

Cognitive Biases

Answer 4

Thinking in certain ways which lead to systematic deviations from good judgement

Question 5

Arguing from First Principles

Answer 5

A first principle is a basic, foundational and self-evident proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption

Question 6

Proximate Cause vs Root Cause

Answer 6

A proximate cause is an event which is closest to, or immediately responsible for causing, some observed result. Different from root cause, which is a higher-level ultimate cause (or distal cause) which is usually thought of as the ‘real’ reason something occurred. -> Use 5 Whys framework