Given a choice between two theories, take the one which is funnier.

Funny explanations hide simpler truths

When you're stuck between two explanations for why something happened—whether it's why your friend went silent, why a project failed, or why the world works a certain way—there's something genuinely useful about picking the one that makes you laugh. Not because humor is truth, but because funny theories tend to be simpler. They don't require as many moving parts or hidden assumptions. A complicated explanation usually needs lots of conditions to all line up perfectly. A funny one often cuts through the clutter by spotting something absurd that was actually there all along.

There's also a subtler benefit: taking the funnier interpretation keeps you humble. It reminds you that you might be wrong, that life is weird and messy, and that your precious serious theory could be missing something obvious. The moment you're willing to laugh at your own explanations, you're less likely to cling to them stubbornly when evidence says otherwise. Most of us get trapped in our first serious answer and defend it to death. The funnier option gives you permission to stay light and flexible, which is exactly the mental posture you need when you're actually trying to figure something out.