Fri, 07 May 2004 08:00:44 -0700,
, Terry Morse
wrote:

Zoot Katz wrote:

I think he used to also quote Murphy: "Do not ascribe to maliciousness
what can be ascribed to incompetence, ignorance, and insensibility."

I think you're referring to Hanlon, not Murphy:

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?HanlonsRazor

You're probably right. Thanks for the correction.
I pasted it from a document attributing it to
Murphy. I'd searched on "ascribe to maliciousness" looking for a
reference.

http://www.virginia.edu/uvanewsmaker.../oconnell.html

Hanlon's uses "malice", a better word. I wasn't comfortable with the
repetition of "ascribe" in the quote I'd found, just lazy.

I prefer the phrasing of the translated version attributed to
Napoleon: "Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by
incompetence."

Thanks again.
--
zk