Resolutions And The Availability Heuristic

The Paradox Of Failed Resolutions

Jillian Hess | Noted | 5th January 2026

On turning 59, Samuel Johnson resolved “to combat notions of obligation, rise early, drink less strong liquours, put books in order, scheme life”. In Octavia Butler’s notes: “my novels travel up to the top of the bestseller lists”, a goal she achieved posthumously. Robert Caro tallied the words he wrote daily; on some days it was zero. “Making resolutions you can’t possibly keep can be incredibly useful” (1,800 words)

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The Modern Peril Of The Availability Heuristic

Guy Hochman | Behavioural Economics | 6th January 2026

In times of information scarcity, the availability heuristic prevailed: people judged likelihood by memorability; familiar patterns felt more probable. With information abundance, this has evolved to dismiss what is unavailable as impossible. “Institutions designed to limit exposure, protect fairness, or filter noise now appear suspicious simply because they fail to provide visibility on demand” (1,100 words)