Heuristics
A heuristic is a simplified thinking rule that helps you quickly assess situations, but can lead to errors.
Definition
Heuristics allow you to make decisions with incomplete data, time pressure and limited attention. They make thinking fast and energy-saving. Their price is the risk of simplification: people may overestimate what comes easily to mind, rely on stereotypes or confuse similarity with probability.
Key ideas
Missing key ideas.
Practice and life
When making an important decision, write down the first intuitive answer and then add at least two alternative explanations.
Common misunderstanding
It is a mistake to consider heuristics only as a bad thing. The problem comes when a quick shortcut replaces analysis where the stakes are high.
Questions for self-reflection
No questions for self-reflection.
Sources
No sources.