--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With all things being equal, the simplest…" description: "\"With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.\" — William of Ockham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg" --- # With all things being equal, the simplest explanation… ![“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.” quote by William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg) > “With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.” [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The simplest explanation, when all else equal, is likely correct. **In simple terms:** Simplicity often signals truth. Key Takeaway Prefer simpler explanations when evidence is equal. Themes logic parsimony reasoning Mood analytical pragmatic Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - problem solving - scientific method - decision making Key Concepts Occam's razor critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - When is a complex explanation justified? - How do you balance simplicity and detail? A Different Perspective Complexity can be necessary for nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-equal/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Equal Simplest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-simplest-3550323/) [Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanation/) [Explanation Tends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanation-tends-3550324/) [Simplest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplest/) [Simplest Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplest-explanation-2443506/) [Things Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-equal-362453/) ## Related quotes > [“All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/all-things-being-equal-the-simplest-solution-tends-to-be-the-best-one/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/of-two-equivalent-theories-or-explanations-all-other-things-being/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [“The simplest explanation is usually the right one”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/occam-s-razor/the-simplest-explanation-is-usually-the-right-one/) [Occam s Razor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/occam-s-razor/) > [The simplest explanation is most often the correct one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-child/the-simplest-explanation-is-most-often-the-correct-one/) [Lincoln Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-child/) > [It is better to adopt the simplest explanation, even if it is not simple, even if it does not explain very much. A bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-is-better-to-adopt-the-simplest-explanation-even-if-it-is-not/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [The simplest explanation is always the most likely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-simplest-explanation-is-always-the-most-likely/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [That's probably good, all things being equal, for emerging markets, not bad, even though it may not be great for all their currencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/that-s-probably-good-all-things-being-equal-for-emerging-markets-not/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [All things being equal, people will do business with a friend; all things being unequal, people will still do business with a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mccormack/all-things-being-equal-people-will-do-business-with-a-friend-all/) [Mark McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mccormack/) > [Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/other-things-being-equal-it-is-better-to-be-smart-than-to-be-stupid/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [All things being equal, I would choose a woman over a man in order to even the balance of power, to insinuate a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/all-things-being-equal-i-would-choose-a-woman-over-a-man-in-order-to/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [All things being equal, attitude wins. 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A plurality (of reasons) should not be posited without necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/pluralitas-non-est-ponenda-sine-necessitate-a-plurality-of-reasons/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities should not be posited unnecessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-should-not-be-posited-unnecessarily/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [God's existence cannot be deduced by reason alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/god-s-existence-cannot-be-deduced-by-reason-alone/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Whenever two hypotheses cover the facts, use the simpler of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/whenever-two-hypotheses-cover-the-facts-use-the-simpler-of-the-two/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [“Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate. (Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/pluralitas-non-est-ponenda-sine-neccesitate-entities-should-not-be/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Intuitive cognition of a thing is cognition that enables us to know whether the thing exists or does not exist, in such a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/intuitive-cognition-of-a-thing-is-cognition-that-enables-us-to-know/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/entities-are-not-to-be-multiplied-beyond-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/of-two-equivalent-theories-or-explanations-all-other-things-being/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Plurality should not be assumed without necessity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/plurality-should-not-be-assumed-without-necessity/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [3 is a prime, 5 is a prime, and 7 is a prime. 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I'd like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-don-t-wanna-be-equal-with-anybody-i-wanna-be-above-equal-i-don-t/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Other things being equal, ill will is worse than moral indifference (as in causing suffering for money vs causing suffering to cause suffering), though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/other-things-being-equal-ill-will-is-worse-than-moral-indifference-as/) [Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/) > [Do not Bodies act upon Light at a distance, and by their action bend its Rays; and is not this action (caeteris paribus) \[all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/do-not-bodies-act-upon-light-at-a-distance-and-by-their-action-bend/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [A sick man, surrounded by those who love him, nursed by those who wish earnestly that he should live, will recover (all other things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-sick-man-surrounded-by-those-who-love-him-nursed-by-those-who-wish/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [Miss Jenkyns wore a cravat, and a little bonnet like a jockey-cap, and altogether had the appearance of a strong-minded woman; although she would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/miss-jenkyns-wore-a-cravat-and-a-little-bonnet-like-a-jockey-cap-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If the land was divided among all the inhabitants of a country, so that each of them possessed precisely the quantity necessary for his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-robert-jacques-turgot-baron-de-laune/if-the-land-was-divided-among-all-the-inhabitants-of-a-country-so/) [Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-robert-jacques-turgot-baron-de-laune/) > [Don’t ever underestimate the importance of money. I know it’s often been said that money won’t make you happy and this is undeniably true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/don-t-ever-underestimate-the-importance-of-money-i-know-it-s-often/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“If the tradition which claims that war may be justified does not also admit that it could be unjustified, the affirmation is not morally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-tradition-which-claims-that-war-may-be-justified-does-not-also/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[T\]here is a methodological bias in favor of taking natural discourse literally, other things being equal. 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But rarely are all things equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorian-yates/all-else-being-equal-the-guy-with-the-best-genetics-will-have-the/) [Dorian Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorian-yates/) [Browse all 76 Being equal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-equal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William of Ockham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest-explanation-tends-to-be-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being equal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest-explanation-tends-to-be-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad4/william-of-ockham-23662_being-equal_with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest_2815437.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.” — William of Ockham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William of Ockham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With all things being equal, the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest-explanation-tends-to-be-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/with-all-things-being-equal-the-simplest-explanation-tends-to-be-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```