ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bounded rationality

Bounded rationality means that people cannot always make the smartest or best decision, because their brains only have a limited amount of time and energy they they can use to make a decision. Instead, they have to make decisions that are good enough, or ‘bounded’, by the amount of time and energy they have available to them. This means that people often make decisions that are not perfect, but are still good enough to be helpful.