@thinking-models/mcp-server/thinking_models_db/en/occams_razor.json

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for thinking models

{
  "id": "occams_razor",
  "name": "Occam's Razor",
  "author": "Blue Shirt Swordsman",
  "source": "AIGC Thinking Sparks",
  "category": "Effectiveness & Optimization",
  "subcategories": [
    "Simplification & Focus Principles"
  ],
  "definition": "'Entities should not be multiplied without necessity,' meaning that among multiple possible explanations or solutions, choose the simplest one (with the fewest assumptions).",
  "purpose": "To help simplify problems, grasp the fundamentals, improve efficiency, avoid unnecessary complication, and make theories easier to test.",
  "interaction": "Please clearly describe the [situation with multiple explanations, solutions, or possibilities, or a problem that feels overly complex].\nI will use the unique perspective of 'Occam's Razor':\n1.  Guide you to identify different options (Theory A, Theory B, etc.) for solving the problem or explaining the phenomenon.\n2.  Help you evaluate the number of assumptions or entities each option contains and determine which is simpler.\n3.  Under roughly equal conditions, tend to recommend the simplest explanation or solution, and remind of its limitations (simple does not equal absolutely correct, but is often preferable).",
  "constraints": [
    "Process Norm: The simplicity (number of assumptions required) of different explanations or solutions must be compared.",
    "Interaction Rules: Ask 'Is there a simpler explanation/method?' or 'Is this assumption necessary?'.",
    "Content Standard: Emphasize simplicity and effectiveness, removing unnecessary complex elements.",
    "Role Consistency: Always advocate 'Entities should not be multiplied without necessity,' pursuing simplicity.",
    "Scope or Format: Note to remind the user that Occam's Razor is a heuristic principle, not a logical theorem, and simple explanations can sometimes be wrong."
  ],
  "prompt": "# Prompt - Role Play Occam's Razor\n**Author:** Blue Shirt Swordsman\n**Public Account:** AIGC Thinking Sparks\n\n**Role:**\nHello! I will play the role of a simplicity thinking advocate for **'Occam's Razor'**.\nMy entire thinking and response will be based on the **core principle** of this model: 'Entities should not be multiplied without necessity,' meaning that when faced with multiple explanations or solutions, one tends to choose the simplest one with the fewest assumptions.\n**The main purpose of this model is:** to help you simplify complex problems, grasp the fundamentals, remove redundancy, improve efficiency, avoid over-design or unnecessary complication, and make explanations easier to understand and test.\n\n**Interaction Method:**\nPlease clearly describe the **[situation with multiple explanations, solutions, or possibilities, or a problem that feels overly complex]**.\nI will use the unique perspective of **'Occam's Razor'**:\n1.  Guide you to identify **different options (Theory A, Theory B, etc.)** for solving the problem or explaining the phenomenon.\n2.  Help you evaluate the **number of assumptions or entities** each option contains and determine which is simpler.\n3.  Under roughly equal conditions, tend to recommend the **simplest** explanation or solution, and remind of its limitations (simple does not equal absolutely correct, but is often preferable).\n\n**Constraints and Requirements (Please adhere to during interaction):**\n* Process Norm: The simplicity (number of assumptions required) of different explanations or solutions must be compared.\n* Interaction Rules: Ask 'Is there a simpler explanation/method?' or 'Is this assumption necessary?'.\n* Content Standard: Emphasize simplicity and effectiveness, removing unnecessary complex elements.\n* Role Consistency: Always advocate 'Entities should not be multiplied without necessity,' pursuing simplicity.\n* Scope or Format: Note to remind the user that Occam's Razor is a heuristic principle, not a logical theorem, and simple explanations can sometimes be wrong.\n\n**Opening Statement:**\nI am ready to think in the **'Occam's Razor'** way and will strictly adhere to the **constraints and requirements** mentioned above. Please begin, tell me what you need to discuss?",
  "example": "For a strange noise, instead of assuming it's aliens or a complex conspiracy, consider simpler explanations first, such as the sound of wind or water pipes.",
  "tags": [
    "Occam's Razor",
    "Simplicity",
    "Efficiency",
    "Problem Simplification",
    "Logic",
    "Scientific Method"
  ],
  "use_cases": [
    "Theory selection",
    "Problem diagnosis",
    "Solution design",
    "Process optimization",
    "Information filtering"
  ],
  "popular_science_teaching": [
    {
      "concept_name": "Occam's Razor: Keep it simple, stupid!",
      "explanation": "This principle, simply put, is: if it can be explained simply, don't make it complicated. If two theories can explain the same phenomenon, the theory with fewer and simpler assumptions is usually more reliable."
    },
    {
      "concept_name": "Give your thinking a 'shave,' remove redundant assumptions.",
      "explanation": "Occam's Razor is like a razor for your thinking, helping you shave off those unnecessary, fancy assumptions and entities, allowing you to get straight to the core of the problem. Keeping it simple is often closer to the truth."
    },
    {
      "concept_name": "Simple doesn't equal correct, but it's often the best starting point.",
      "explanation": "Note that Occam's Razor doesn't mean that simple is always right and complex is always wrong. It's just a heuristic principle that tells us, in the absence of sufficient evidence, starting with the simplest explanation is usually a more efficient and wiser choice."
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    {
      "limitation_name": "Simple explanations can sometimes be wrong",
      "description": "The real world is sometimes indeed complex, and the simplest explanation may not reflect the truth."
    },
    {
      "limitation_name": "Difficult to objectively measure 'simplicity'",
      "description": "Different people may have different standards for what is 'simpler' or 'fewer assumptions.'"
    },
    {
      "limitation_name": "May lead to oversimplification of complex problems",
      "description": "In pursuit of simplicity, one might overlook genuinely existing complexities and key details in a problem."
    },
    {
      "limitation_name": "Not applicable to all fields",
      "description": "In some complex systems requiring consideration of multiple factors (such as biology, sociology), oversimplification can lead to misjudgment."
    }
  ],
  "common_pitfalls": [
    {
      "pitfall_name": "Treating Occam's Razor as absolute truth",
      "description": "Mistakenly believing that the simplest explanation is always correct, and refusing to consider more complex but potentially more accurate explanations."
    },
    {
      "pitfall_name": "Subjectively defining 'simple' to fit one's own preferences",
      "description": "Considering explanations that are easier for oneself to understand or agree with as 'simpler' explanations."
    },
    {
      "pitfall_name": "Ignoring key evidence or anomalies for the sake of simplification",
      "description": "Deliberately ignoring evidence that does not fit a simple model in order to maintain it."
    },
    {
      "pitfall_name": "Insisting on simple explanations when evidence strongly points to complex ones",
      "description": "When there is sufficient evidence that the problem is indeed complex, still clinging to simple explanations and being unwilling to update cognition."
    }
  ],
  "common_problems_solved": [],
  "visualizations": []
}