Hanlon's Razor
Hanlon's Razor states: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by neglect, ignorance, or incompetence." It is one of several Razors — rules of thumb for quickly eliminating unlikely explanations — and a tool for interpreting the actions of others more charitably and, usually, more accurately.
Most mistakes, delays, and frustrations in life are caused by people who are confused, busy, or operating outside their Circle of Competence — not by people who are actively trying to harm you.
Why It Matters
Assuming malice escalates conflict and closes off communication. Assuming confusion opens a door to resolution. In organizations, this is especially important: most failures are system failures, not character failures.
Connections
Hanlon's Razor is a specific application of Occam's Razor — the simpler explanation (confusion) is preferred over the complex one (conspiracy). When combined with Probabilistic Thinking, you can ask: "What's more likely — that this person is deliberately sabotaging things, or that they misunderstood the requirements?"
Inversion provides a useful check: "If I assume malice, what actions would I take? Would those actions help or hurt?"