Through training experience and education, we can develop mental shortcuts that, many times, make our thought process, planning of operations and reactions to stimuli quicker and more efficient. Battle drills, repetitive training mental rehearsals, and recognition primed decision making will cause our mind to take natural shortcuts because it generally works in our favor. If we have the time, it is proven that even though we may have mental shortcuts to get to the root of the problem we should look at alternative courses of conduct to our shortcuts. Many times the comparison of several alternatives by using divergent thinking will make the best option clear. Based on some of my experiences with mental shortcuts I have had come down to rapidly evolving situations that end with the use of force. Many times these quick reactions to stimuli result in officers successfully defeating an attack and surviving a high-risk situation. As we have all seen in the news, sometimes the mental shortcut results in a less than favorable outcome with an unreasonable use of force application.