3 ms·

Seems like it would be a survival trait in the wild. Doubling back reduces your exploration rate (you're not updating your map as much and you're less likely to

by taneq 1y ago

Seems like it would be a survival trait in the wild. Doubling back reduces your exploration rate (you're not updating your map as much and you're less likely to spot some new snack) while increasing your exposure to unknown predators that might have been alerted but not positively identified you the first time. There's still good reasons to double back, like trying to outwit a known, active pursuer or evader, or being in a very hazardous environment. All else being equal, though, I'd think continuing forward would be more beneficial overall.

heisenbit 1y ago
The path is the goal.
- agumonkey 1y ago
  Exploration is a reward sometimes. You get to see unexpected.
- taneq 1y ago
  The explicitly stated goal is the path, but for actual living creatures (of the kind that have this in-built bias) the actual goals are far more varied and nuanced.
constantcrying 1y ago
There is also the fact that often sticking with a mediocre or even bad decision heavily outperforms changing your mind constantly.
- taneq 1y ago
  This is very true. Just because there's sunk costs doesn't mean you're falling for the sunk costs fallacy. Sure, sometimes you need to just cut your losses and start over, but often it's better to push through (maybe with a bit of a rethink) and get some degree of useful result than it is to just scrap everything and start over.