Dec 14 2007 6:59AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Occam’s Razor is a 14th century principle attributed to English logician and Franciscan friar William of Ockham. The principle states that one should not make more assumptions than the minimum needed.

In many circles, Occams Razor is called the principle of parsimony. Which admonishes us to choose the simplest choice from a set of otherwise equivalent models. But that was then and now is now.

If we fast-forward to today’s definition of Occam’s Razor, it would sound a little different. Today’s definition might sound something like this:

The simplest explanation is usually the correct explanation.

In other words, if you have a number of answers and don’t know which one is right, the simplest answer is usually the correct answer. And as easy as Occam’s Razor seems, it’s quite accurate … and works on almost any problem. Take sales people for instance.

Why don’t sales people “catch up” with customers when they tour the models?

A simple problem that has all kinds of answers. And they range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Let’s do this. I’ll provide the answers … you apply Occam’s Razor. Just choose the simplest explanation. Here goes:

• It’s a “seller’s” market
• It’s a “buyer’s” market
• There’s no need to “catch up” up

The choice is yours.