The sunk-cost fallacy is throwing good time, money, or effort after bad — because of what you've already spent, which you can never get back. Common examples:
What is the sunk cost fallacy? Read the full idea →It's bad an hour in, but you've "already started," so you sit through two more hours you'll never get back instead of doing something you'd enjoy.
"I've put three years in" keeps people in a path that no longer fits — the years are gone regardless of whether you stay one more.
You paid for all-you-can-eat, so you keep going to "get your money's worth," trading a pleasant meal for feeling sick.
A company keeps funding a failing product because of the millions already spent, instead of asking what's best to do from today forward.
Each repair feels justified by the last one, until you've spent more than the car is worth chasing the money you already sank into it.
That's just how memory works. Lock the sunk cost fallacy in with a 5-minute active-recall session — spaced repetition, no signup.
Try this idea free →One tap adds it to your review queue — we bring it back right before you'd forget.