Mind · Strategy

Satisfice

Optimizing for speed via threshold acceptance

Definition

Mechanism

Threshold Acceptance: Define minimum acceptable criteria upfront. Evaluate options sequentially. Accept first option meeting all thresholds. Stop searching. Optimality is sacrificed for speed and cognitive efficiency. It implements a relaxed version of OptimalStop, terminating the search as soon as the first valid candidate is found.

Preconditions

Option space enumerable.
Acceptance threshold defined.
Evaluation function exists.

Postconditions

Option meeting threshold found OR space exhausted.
No backtracking occurred.
Decision final.

Invariants

Threshold cannot change mid-search.

Risks

Failure modes

Threshold Drift
Unconsciously lowering standards during the search to force a match.

Relationships

Builds on

References

Infrastructure

Decision

Irrevocable selection from a set of options

OptimalStop

Choose when to stop a sequential process

Infrastructure

Option

A discrete, executable alternative

Used by

References

ScopeFreeze

Lock requirements to prevent scope creep

Reference

Identity

Ref

Satisfice#29ce

Sema ID

sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:29ce1b5967705cc8c613f750d35c2481d311a1c9308c1959cfd812635e2faf0e

Ring

Tier

Updated

2026-11-11

Supersedes

sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:91615d1f2766f4391d8b6b01a9ce2c576ecabf278336b638ce9309d916d1827d
sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:ac34d966be2982e055c21bdd09f05f7f341c21f6d4f1f3966b11f443abf2af40

Markdown JSON This version (Satisfice@29ce)Index of all patterns