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Heuristic Hacks

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Attribute Substitution

Humans unconsciously substitute a complex, difficult judgment with an easier one. When asked to solve a difficult problem or answer a complex question, humans often substitute it with an easier one and attempt to solve/answer that one, and then use that for decision-making.

It is a fundamental heuristic that is triggered when the difficulty of analysis increases. Effectively, Attribute Substitution simplifies decision-making, problem-solving, and judgments/evaluations by a great deal. However, sometimes, the substitution is inappropriate to the decision and that leads to improper analysis.

How to hack Attribute Substitution?

Attribute Substitution is the fundamental reason why most of us don’t do what we should be doing and instead replace it with what we can easily do and then try to rationalize our actions and make excuses for our behaviors. Attribute Substitution contributes to poor decision-making in almost every important aspect of life - health, wealth, and happiness.

Most of us know what we need to do if we want to be healthy today and stay healthy into our golden years. We need to do is eat healthy, exercise, manage our stress, avoid situations in life that put us at higher health risks, etc. However, it is not easy to eat healthily, so we pop some multivitamins every day and try to convince ourselves that we are doing something to stay healthy. Similarly, it is not easy to exercise every day, so we buy an Apple watch and chase the 10,000 steps goal every day.

It is important to hack Attribute Substitution in almost every aspect of life. One simple way to detect Attribute Substitution is to think about NEED vs. WANT in your decisions. Anytime you are replacing needs for wants, you are likely to fall prey to Attribute Substitution.

Hacking Attribute Substitution when answering difficult personal questions

There usually is a time in most personal relationships when difficult questions like, “Where is this relationship going?”, or “Do you love me?” need answers. Even for the one asking the questions, evaluating the answer is a complex task. In such cases, an easier question can be answered.

For example, “Do you want to spend time with me?”, or “Do I still want to be in this relationship even though I am not sure what I want in the future?” Answering simpler questions first can help people struggling in a relationship resolve some of their issues and work their way to more fundamental issues that eventually need to be addressed.

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Hacking Attribute Substitution to improve learning through metaphors

Metaphors are easy to understand because they are relatable and common knowledge if implemented correctly. Complex ideas can be taught using Attribute Substitution where the abstract nature of a concept is substituted with a metaphor and the metaphor is used to develop a cursory understanding. After that, learning can transition back to the abstract concept and let go of the metaphor.

Every society has its own set of social proverbs and idioms that simplify complex thoughts and ideas into simple concepts. Consider a few examples:

  • All’s well that ends well
  • No pain, no gain
  • There is no smoke without fire

Hacking Attribute Substitution when choosing the right career/academic stream

Attribute Substitution can be an incorrect way to figure out which career or academic field a student should choose. To assess if a student should enter STEM or the arts or social sciences, they often evaluate easier questions like “Does math make me happy?”, or “Do I want to study people?”, or “Should I go for art because I like writing and reading?”

Answers to these questions are almost instinctive but they do not sufficiently answer the original question - whether to choose STEM or social science or arts. Each of those fields focuses on many other foundational skills and less obvious preferences can affect how much one enjoys the learning process.

To hack Attribute Substitution here, other means to simplify decision making like talking to a counselor, talking with senior students, reading coursework, going through job and project prospects, talking to faculty/employees, or focusing on extra-curricular options can help. Once a realistic idea of the career or academic field is developed, it is easier to negate the biased preference caused by Attribute Substitution.

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