Nabeel’s One Takes — A Tale Of Two Razors
What happened this time?
I was feeling a little worse for wear on Sunday morning so I decided to treat myself to some well-needed self-care. This time it was *drumroll please*…a haircut, and as I was feeling a bit decadent, I opted for a hot towel wet shave as well!
For context, I’m not really a wet shaver, I’m more of a trim-down-to-a-light-stubble-whenever-I-start-to-look-like-a-Neanderthal-er. This is because I feel comfortable that way and clean shaving is just not my personal vibe. Anyway, while the shave was nice, I left feeling a little like this:
Things that were going through my head as I exited the barbershop included things like:
“What’s my s/o going to think?”
“Will people call me ‘babyface’?”
“Will people at work be weirded out?”
You might laugh and you have my permission to do so because it’s funny but it’s also weird isn’t it? We all have moments where we extrapolate small things (in the grand scheme of things) and overthink the consequences. In this case, I was definitely overthinking the consequences of a wet shave on my personal, social and working life.
What happened when I ended up facing people?
So as I walked home and felt the full extent of the warm breeze hitting my bare face, I continued to bask in my anxiety, preparing rebuttals to the hypothetical comments from my s/o and my housemates that I expected to come my way when I got home.
By the time I walked through my door, I had steeled myself. To my surprise however, nothing was said except for “nice haircut” and “did you get a trim?” While this was a relief, it started off a whole new spiral of thought…
I was judging how I felt before facing everyone and more importantly, I was judging why I was thinking what I was thinking. In my head I was thinking about why I often feel anxious as well as why that day in particular, I was feeling super insecure. This led to a slight feeling of overwhelm and what made it worse was the fact that, as is usually the case, “everything is actually okay”. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t having a full-on breakdown (thankfully) but I was definitely feeling uncomfortable about how I was feeling. My brain was trying to solve a problem by answering a really difficult question: “Why do I feel anxious?”
As I ruminated on this I came to a realization that I was indeed trapped in a loop of problem-solving, with each answer leading on to another problem instead of a solution I was comfortable with. I found it difficult to give myself permission to think about something else until I remembered what my biology teacher at college (thanks, if you’re reading this by the way) told me about using ‘Occam’s razor’ in relation to problem-solving. This is the thing I wanted to share with you today…
Oxfam’s what?
Occam’s razor, sounds like a mythical utensil doesn’t it? I don’t know who Occam is or why they have a razor but what was taught to me in biology is that it’s a handy problem-solving tool. Before I go into what it actually is, I just want to digress quickly. As I’m writing this, I just Googled Occam’s Razor and it turns out Occam is in reference to a dude called William from Ockham and a Razor is another name for ‘rule of thumb’ in philosophy. I would like to propose that from 2023 onwards, Occam’s razor should be changed to ‘Will’s Rule of Thumb’. Who’s with me?
Okay, maybe no-one. Anyway, let’s get back to it… Occam’s razor as I understand it is all about keeping things simple and not making things unnecessarily complicated. Let’s put it in to context in this scenario, imagine, like me, you’re faced with a perplexing problem. Your brain goes into overdrive, conjuring up all sorts of elaborate theories and possibilities. You start wondering if there’s a hidden conspiracy involving your freshly shaved face, or if the universe is secretly plotting against your stubble preferences and then to top it all off, you’re worrying about why on earth you’re worrying, coming up with all sorts of explanations that you’re not entirely happy with and unable to move on from.
But wait! Enter Occam’s razor, swooping in to save the day. It’s superpower is cutting through the tangled mess of complex explanations and leaving you with the simplest solution. It tells you to take a step back, breathe, and ask yourself, “What’s the most straightforward explanation here?”
In the case of my anxiety about the consequences of a wet shave, Occam’s razor would say, “Dude, chill out! This is just anxiety and anxiety is normal and most importantly it’s transient, in that it comes as easily as it goes”. The simplest explanation is often the most likely one. People probably won’t freak out or think you’ve joined a witness protection program just because you changed up your grooming routine.
For me, Occam’s razor is a reminder to avoid overthinking and to embrace the simplicity of life. Sometimes, we get caught up in unnecessary worries and let our imaginations run wild. But if we can apply Occam’s razor and slice away the complicated narratives we create, we’ll find ourselves enjoying a lighter, more care-free existence.
So, the next time you find yourself spiralling into a loop of overthinking, take out your mental Occam’s razor. Simplify, simplify, simplify! Trust that the simplest explanation is usually the right one. Is it just anxiety? If so, let it pass. Could it be that you haven’t slept enough? If so, just accept that, forgive yourself for bingeing through all of Succession Season 4 last night (or give yourself a pat on the back, that’s quite an accomplishment) and plan to go to sleep a little earlier tonight. Getting caught up in worry is hard enough, so let’s not worry about why we’re worrying and complicate it further with unnecessary mental gymnastics.
In the end, Occam’s razor is like a wise friend, gently reminding us to keep it simple, laugh at our overthinking tendencies, and enjoy the lighter side of life. So, embrace the razor and shave away the unnecessary mental fuzz. Happy problem-solving, fellow simplifiers!
P.S. To be honest, I think I get the ‘razor’ part now because this rule helps trim away unnecessary mental fluff.
Disclaimer: These are just my personal views, if you are experiencing difficulties with your mental health, please seek appropriate professional support.
