Homonym: Heuristic (Rule)
A heuristic is a mental shortcut that helps people make decisions and solve problems quickly and efficiently. Instead of analyzing every detail, heuristics allow individuals to rely on past experiences or rules of thumb to reach conclusions. This approach can be useful in everyday situations, such as estimating time or making choices based on limited information.
However, while heuristics can speed up decision-making, they can also lead to biases or errors. For example, the availability heuristic may cause someone to overestimate the likelihood of events based on recent experiences, potentially skewing their judgment in situations like risk assessment or financial planning.