A rule of thumb is a human-made practical guideline offering a simple, approximately accurate principle sufficient for decision-making or problem-solving in everyday contexts. Its parameters are: (1) simplicity — the rule is easy to remember and apply without formal calculation; (2) approximate accuracy — it yields sufficient correctness for practical purposes, though not exact; (3) conventional authority — it persists through shared use and transmission across practitioners. [formal: regula pollicis | substrate: mind | horizon: generations | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
rule-of-thumb
A rule of thumb is a human-made practical guideline offering a simple, approximately accurate principle sufficient for decision-making or problem-solving in everyday contexts. Its parameters are: (1) simplicity — the rule is easy to rememb…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made practical guideline that provides a simple, approximately accurate rule sufficient for decision-making or problem-solving in everyday contexts, built to persist as shared conventional knowledge.
Names and aliases
- rule-of-thumben · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrn9jrng0217d1nlbpyi9g3qINSTANCE_OF →
A rule of thumb is a specific kind of heuristic (Law 9). Direction: rule-of-thumb is newer (epoch ~0.90s) than heuristics (epoch ~0.83s). A competent speaker would call a rule of thumb 'a heuristic' — it is a practical, approximate guide for problem-solving, which is exactly what a heuristic is.
- cmrg5g8tq00mz2a1nkmqfmaj4DERIVED_FROM →
Rules of thumb DERIVED_FROM practice — they were historically created from accumulated practical experience. Which came first? Practice (repeated engagement with problems) predates any individual rule of thumb. Practice fed into the creation of rules of thumb as distilled heuristics. Passes Law 7 DERIVED_FROM test.
Relations to this entry
- cmrmfdby0002qd1nlh9ok230j← INSTANCE_OF
A heuristic IS a specific kind of rule of thumb — a practical method sufficient for reaching an immediate goal, not guaranteed optimal. A competent speaker calls a heuristic 'a rule of thumb'. Nearest kind: rule-of-thumb.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 21, 2026, 2:59 PM UTC
- Content hash
- d02999208f8b6e115750391299cc8a06378e72b60827af0060c0839c20c9794c