Heuristics are mental shortcuts that help people make decisions quickly and efficiently. They simplify complex problems by using rules of thumb, educated guesses, or common sense. For example, when choosing a restaurant, someone might rely on the reviews or ratings rather than analyzing every menu item. While heuristics can speed up decision-making, they can also lead to biases or errors. For instance, the availability heuristic causes individuals to judge the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind. This can result in overestimating risks, such as fearing plane crashes more than car accidents, despite statistical evidence.