Using Occam’s razor at home

I hate the Woody Allen quote “Those who can’t do, teach” because it’s definitely a myth. Unfortunately, however, I occasionally find that I ignore the principles I know and teach others to follow!

Take, for example, Occam’s razor. This principle is commonly understood to mean that if there are two or more explanations for an event, the simpler is usually the better.

This “law of brevity” translates more directly from William of Ockham’s Latin to mean: “You must not use more things than are necessary.”

“Razor” is used as a metaphor, indicating that unnecessary things (such as hair that is too long) should be shaved off.

So, let’s see how Occam’s razor is applied in real life. More specifically, consider how I might have applied Occam’s razor to my own life. Because if I had, it would have saved me a lot of time, stress, and expense.

I have an elderly cat who has various ailments, some quite serious. My vet recently told me that my cat needed a special low phosphorous diet. She gave me a link to a website that listed literally hundreds of food products that would fill that need. Unfortunately, there were very few meat flavored foods.

This was problematic because, through trial and error, I found that meat-flavored food is the only food that masks the taste of my cat’s medications. Just don’t eat food that tastes like fish or poultry.

I highlighted the meaty foods on the first two pages of the list and began the long and laborious process of trying to locate them. I spent a lot of time walking the aisles of various pet food stores and only found two foods listed. This was great, because I was only able to buy a can or two for my cat to try.

My cat wouldn’t eat them.

In a panic, to make sure he got his medicine, I would throw away the rejected food and give him the food he had been eating for the past few years. This became the pattern every time he refused new foods.

Some local pet stores kindly agreed to order special boxes of the food I needed and then sold me individual cans.

My cat wouldn’t eat them.

I went on the web, trying to locate a vendor that: (1) had the food I needed, and (2) sold individual cans. There were very few, but I was able to order food from two vendors.

My cat wouldn’t eat them.

I went further down the list of suggested foods and started the process of looking them up. One meal looked promising, because it sounded similar to the food she had been eating. However, I had to buy a case.

My cat wouldn’t eat it.

Finally, I did what I should have done in the first place. I called the manufacturer of the food my cat had been eating to find out how much phosphorus was in it. The answer was 0.5%, which was actually lower than any of the foods on the list that he had been working with.

The bottom line: The food my cat had been eating was exactly the food she needed.

I will be taking all the other cans (about two boxes worth) to our local humane society so someone can benefit from this unnecessary time and trouble.

I wish I had applied Occam’s razor and immediately looked for the simplest solution. Of the two alternatives: an unknown food and a known food, the known food (if it contained the required amount of phosphorus) would have been the better choice.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “Everyone makes mistakes, but only the wise learn from their mistakes.” I certainly hope to be one of them!