BiasReasoning & flexibility · Logical Fallacy · Entry 70
Time-Saving Bias – when speed tricks your sense of time
Do you think increasing speed from 80 to 100 km/h saves a lot of time, while 20 to 40 km/h barely makes a difference? That’s Time-Saving Bias – the tendency to overestimate time saved at high speeds and underestimate time saved at low speeds.
Where it can show up
- Driving – going from 20 to 40 km/h cuts travel time in half, but 100 to 120 km/h saves only a few minutes.
- Work processes – speeding up the final stage of a project seems like a major time saver, but the biggest gains were possible at the start.
- Sports & fitness – you believe a 5% speed boost matters most at peak performance, while ignoring that the biggest improvements happen early on.
A practical countermeasure
- Measure time savings in actual minutes – it’s not about how much faster you go, but how much time you truly save.
- Remember that efficiency gains are bigger at lower speeds – doubling speed at the start saves more time than a small increase at the end.
- Don’t chase illusionary improvements – small speed increases at high levels give minimal benefits but create a false sense of efficiency.
