Heuristics and Biases

Kahneman cataloged dozens of mental shortcuts — heuristics — that help us decide quickly but produce systematic errors in specific situations. These shortcuts work well most of the time, which is exactly why the errors they cause are so easy to miss.

The availability heuristic makes us overestimate dangers we can easily recall. Plane crashes feel more likely than car accidents because they dominate the news, even though driving is far more dangerous day to day.