Draft:Gabby's Razor
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Last edited by Bearcat (talk | contribs) 0 seconds ago. (Update) |
Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. GabbyArcade (talk) 16:45, 29 May 2025 (UTC)
Gabby's Razor is an adage, or rule of thumb, that states:
- Never attribute wisdom to what is more accurately explained by someone just trying to sound smart.
It is a philosophical razor that cuts through the noise of pedantic nonsense. Gabby's Razor offers a mental shortcut for identifying when someone is being "technically correct"—which, as some believe, is the worst kind of correct.
Often invoked in the presence of Reddit comment chains, overly long Slack threads, or any conversation where someone says “Well actually…”, Gabby’s Razor reminds us that some people just want to flex their ego by being annoying.
Origin
[edit]The phrase was born the moment Gabby, mid-sentence, was cut off by a man who corrected her pronunciation of “octopus” with the smug enthusiasm of someone who’s never been invited to a second conversation. She blinked slowly, jotted something down on a napkin, and said, “There it is. Proof that intelligence and usefulness are not the same thing.”
Similar concepts
[edit]- Hanlon’s razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
- Gabby’s Razor: Never assume someone’s being insightful when they’re just being insufferable.
- Scotty’s Principle (unrelated): The more they explain the warp core, the less they understand it.
- Internet’s Law of Correction: The chance of being corrected increases in direct proportion to the triviality of the mistake.
Usage
[edit]Gabby’s Razor is particularly useful in social engineering, online debates, and office meetings where someone begins a sentence with, “Technically…”
Examples include:
- When someone argues for 20 minutes about whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
- When a coworker corrects your use of “less” vs. “fewer” during a fire drill.
- When someone explains blockchain to you unprompted.