---
slug: "SunkCostIgnore"
name: "SunkCostIgnore"
type: "Strategy"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "SunkCostIgnore#c2e5"
sema_id: "sema:SunkCostIgnore#mh:SHA-256:c2e5392f7eee86aa652633c415404ce13a5f83f4e239ad02fd230c75b3c2313c"
tags: ["Mind","Strategy"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SunkCostIgnore/
related: ["Decision","Loop","OpportunityCost","MarginalValueRule"]
---

# SunkCostIgnore

Rationality over historical investment

Layer: Mind · Category: Strategy

## Mechanism

Fresh Slate Evaluation: When deciding whether to continue, ask: "If I were starting fresh today with current resources, would I begin this project?" Past investment is irrelevant to future value. Only future costs and benefits matter. Kill zombies early. Utilizes [OpportunityCost](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/OpportunityCost.md).

## Invariants

- The [Decision](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decision.md) is based only on future utility.

## Preconditions

- [Decision](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decision.md) point
- History of investment

## Postconditions

- Rational choice made

## Failure modes

- Loss Aversion [Loop](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Loop.md): The agent re-frames stopping as a loss rather than a saving, preventing the fresh slate evaluation.

## Builds on

- [Decision](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Decision.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Loop](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Loop.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [OpportunityCost](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/OpportunityCost.md) (Mind; References)

## Used by

- [MarginalValueRule](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/MarginalValueRule.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:SunkCostIgnore#mh:SHA-256:c2e5392f7eee86aa652633c415404ce13a5f83f4e239ad02fd230c75b3c2313c`
- Ref: `SunkCostIgnore#c2e5`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:SunkCostIgnore#mh:SHA-256:4dc35c44a5267415e5ddb5e07a802229242be890db74b697881178da91ccad8f`
  - `sema:SunkCostIgnore#mh:SHA-256:aa8559972a65a167ab809cf25348a534b82d3be52fef52cad6e2ab266fb1b4d3`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SunkCostIgnore/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#SunkCostIgnore)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/SunkCostIgnore.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)