---
slug: "Satisfice"
name: "Satisfice"
type: "Strategy"
layer: "Mind"
ref: "Satisfice#29ce"
sema_id: "sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:29ce1b5967705cc8c613f750d35c2481d311a1c9308c1959cfd812635e2faf0e"
tags: ["Mind","Strategy"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Satisfice/
related: ["Decision","OptimalStop","Option","ScopeFreeze"]
---

# Satisfice

Optimizing for speed via threshold acceptance

Layer: Mind · Category: Strategy

## 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](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/OptimalStop.md), terminating the search as soon as the first valid candidate is found.

## Invariants

- Threshold cannot change mid-search.

## Preconditions

- [Option](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Option.md) space enumerable.
- Acceptance threshold defined.
- Evaluation function exists.

## Postconditions

- [Option](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Option.md) meeting threshold found OR space exhausted.
- No backtracking occurred.
- [Decision](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Decision.md) final.

## Failure modes

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

## Builds on

- [Decision](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Decision.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [OptimalStop](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/OptimalStop.md) (Mind; References)
- [Option](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Option.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [ScopeFreeze](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/ScopeFreeze.md) (Mind; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:29ce1b5967705cc8c613f750d35c2481d311a1c9308c1959cfd812635e2faf0e`
- Ref: `Satisfice#29ce`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:91615d1f2766f4391d8b6b01a9ce2c576ecabf278336b638ce9309d916d1827d`
  - `sema:Satisfice#mh:SHA-256:ac34d966be2982e055c21bdd09f05f7f341c21f6d4f1f3966b11f443abf2af40`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Satisfice/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Satisfice)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Satisfice.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)