Occam's Razor for Normal People

Here is a book that you will never see on shelves. It is called "occam's razor for normal people without the convoluted probability/statistics jargon".

1. Precise explanations are more informative than vague explanations.

2. A complicated thing is made of simpler things. This is true for everything, including explanations.

3. The more things you say, the more chances you have to be wrong, simply because you're saying more things. This is still the case even when you lump multiple things together into a more complicated thing.

4. Precise explanations are more informative *because* they tell you more things, and are therefore more complicated.

5. Precise explanations, being more complicated, have more chances to be wrong.

6. Because precise explanations have more chances to be wrong, they need to be backed up more than simple explanations do.

The end.

If Magical McGuffins Were Realistic

Old Wizard: They are powerful magical artifacts which can be used to accomplish great things. But in the wrong hands they spell disaster.

Hero: What is the nature of their power?

OW: They grant their welders godlike power over the world, the power to threaten even gods into obeying your command, lest they face annihilation. They do this by threatening to turn entire cities to less than ashes in the blink of an eye, cursing the land so nothing can be built on it again for hundreds of years! Such a threat can sway the hearts and minds of Men far more efficaciously than any ordinary spell or potion. And in the wrong hands, it is not merely a threat.

Hero: That sounds evil. We should destroy these artifacts!

OW: But wouldn't you like to have the power to make gods obey you? You could enforce great changes for the betterment of mortalkind."

Hero: See no evil hear no evil speak no evil.

OW: Also, there aren't just seven of these artifacts, there are tens of thousands of them. And if you dont have any, other kingdoms will bully you into doing whatever they say.

Hero: Fine, where can I get one of these things?

OW: You can build one yourself if you have the right materials and the right equipment.

Hero: I see, so this is a quest?

OW: No! You must not. It is forbidden! One of the darkest arts.

Hero: Forbidden by who?

OW: By the kingdoms who own the most of these artifacts.

Hero: But I'm not part of their kingdoms! Their law doesnt apply to me!

OW: Yes it does! Do you want to be annihilated by their godlike powers!?

Hero: ...No.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin