Hanlon’s Razor reminds us that 99% of the transgressions that we perceive are created in our minds, not in reality. Our assumptions create our reality. And when we view everything through the lens of malice or ill intent, we create enemies in our mind that don’t actually exist.

If you assume every minor transgression is a personal attack against you, it’s going to be an agonizing life. Most people don't know who you are, nor do they care. They're out there living their own life oblivious to your presence. In a world with billions of people, most people don’t know you and don’t have it out for you. If, however, you view yourself as the center of the universe, you assume everyone is thinking about you. Your ego interprets any negative occurrence as a direct attack, rather than an innocuous, meaningless encounter.

I’m not a big fan of life hacks, but Hanlon’s Razor is one that makes life a little easier to live. The person that cut you off on the way to work this morning? I can assure you they didn’t wake up this morning with deliberate intent to do you harm. Instead, as Hanlon’s Razor suggests, they may just be a stupid, careless driver. That doesn’t excuse bad driving, but it does excuse the idea that they had it out for you. They may be in a rush and that has nothing to do with you. Road rage exists because fragile egos can’t embrace the concept of Hanlon’s Razor. When we over personalize other’s actions, we've now let the other person control how we respond and how we feel. What a recipe for misery.

There are bad drivers, but not bad drivers who have it out for you. That difference is the essence of Hanlon’s razor.

It’s not just driving. It’s at work too. Didn't get the recognition you thought you deserved at a recent meeting? Yes, maybe your boss has it out for you. But if this is the first time it's ever happened, there are certainly more favorable and more probable interpretations. Could have been a simple oversight given the boss’s workload. Perhaps the boss planned a different time for the recognition. Perhaps your ego overstated your contribution and you really didn’t deserve it. All more likely than ill intent.

What is personal to us is just random encounters for everyone else. We put the meaning on our daily interactions. Moving away from malice to stupidity is a start, but we can do even better: think about the most generous interpretations. This moves us all the way from malice, through stupidity, to now favorable interpretations.

For every disagreement or apparent attack, force yourself to think of generous interpretations behind the encounter. It’s an easier path to start with an open-minded, generous thought rather than immediately gearing up for battle. You can always escalate a conversation to a confrontation. But if you start with confrontation, you can’t go backward to a conversation. It’s a one-way street, so start generous.

Imagine if political opponents started with favorable interpretations of the other side’s arguments, rather than going on the attack. I’ve never seen it and doubt I ever will.

Life can be hard enough. Don’t create more difficulty when you don’t have to.