> What disturbs me is that so many of us use this as a substitute for facts and objective analysis.
I think there's something to this. At a guess, people use a heuristic because facts and objective analysis are hard. I don't mean that sarcastically— I mean that it's difficult and complex even if you are not lazy. When people opt for what everyone else is using, they receive the benefits of treading a well-worn path. This isn't an excuse, but I am sympathetic. Some people are just trying to get work done.
On the other hand, that is a poor justification for being too lazy to do the job right. Often a problem isn't as hard or complex as it looks, and you might just learn something while looking into it. You get the idea.
I think there's something to this. At a guess, people use a heuristic because facts and objective analysis are hard. I don't mean that sarcastically— I mean that it's difficult and complex even if you are not lazy. When people opt for what everyone else is using, they receive the benefits of treading a well-worn path. This isn't an excuse, but I am sympathetic. Some people are just trying to get work done.
On the other hand, that is a poor justification for being too lazy to do the job right. Often a problem isn't as hard or complex as it looks, and you might just learn something while looking into it. You get the idea.
Also, +1 to your comment re: sexism and ageism.