Recently my wife and I were discussing something that had previously occurred to both of us. We put a lot of thought into idioms. Each culture has their own set and frequently we construct elaborate sayings and poems to solidify our understanding of the principle contained within the idiom.
These two ideas/idioms of our culture are used in problem-solving:
Occam's Razor vs. The truth is stranger than fiction
Occam's razor was written by William of Ockham (1287-1347). He was an English Franciscan friar. His principle states that among competing explanations or hypothesis the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. This can be over simplified to the simplest explanation with the least complexity is the primary choice.
Most people think this was penned by Mark Twain in his book Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World. The writing from him is, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isnt."
Turns out that Lord Byron wrote this earlier in Don Juan, "'Tis strange--but true; for truth is always strange, Stranger than fiction:"
Either way, the meaning is "What actually happens is more bizarre than anything that could have been imagined."
I feel like these two idioms are mutually exclusive and so here my dear reader is where you can help.
I would love to find out what other's on Steem prescribe. I have set up a poll to get your feedback. I will publish the results in a few days so please take the time to vote.
@aeonoftime