Every day, several times each day, we make decisions. A decision is a value judgment that determines or guides a plan or course of action. As humans, we are subject to rational agency, and perform axiomatic computational reasoning to deliver and justify action. Choices and alternatives are approximated as investments with expected potential to yield a return. These expectations of uncertainty are modeled quantitatively or qualitatively in order to determine optimality. However, due to the nature of formulating a decision based on expectations, we don’t always act consistent with our rule set that ought to provide maximum utility. We don’t always have all the information necessary, nor do we assign perfectly accurate values representing the maximal.

ought to do, and what people actually do. Ultimately, we act in accordance to what is in our best self-interest. So what we have is an individually validated and defined conclusion, meaning we subjectively decide what is best for us and devise a plan of action in pursuit of that objective (or in terms of deductive logic, a set of premises to form a conclusion). So, by understanding this relation between thinking ahead, and reasoning back, we can effectively manipulate personal capacity for evaluation and thus, behavior. These decisions that are a result of flawed reasoning are said to be in violation of optimality. What becomes of this obscurity from normative behavior is a basis for modeling and predicting behavior—between what peopleto do, and what peopledo. Ultimately, we act in accordance to what is in our best self-interest. So what we have is an individually validated and defined conclusion, meaning we subjectively decide what is best for us and devise a plan of action in pursuit of that objective (or in terms of deductive logic, a set of premises to form a conclusion). So, by understanding this relation between thinking ahead, and reasoning back, we can effectively manipulate personal capacity for evaluation and thus, behavior.

convinces you that the product or service is something you need, something you can’t do without, and therefore the best thing for you to do is to purchase it. By convincing people to think that what is best for you is best for them, you can steer people towards your objective. It is in this way that decision based behavior can be modified and exploited. It is widely apparent that we don’t always do what is best for us, and more often than not we don’t know, or couldn't possibly know, what is best for us. The way effective marketing works is that ityou that the product or service is something you, something you can’t do without, and therefore the best thing for you to do is to purchase it. By convincing people to think that what is best for you is best for them, you can steer people towardsobjective. It is in this way that decision based behavior can be modified and exploited.

Behavior can also be predicted, and thus responded to accordingly. If we have knowledge of what it is you want, we can predict how you will try to attain it. Based on these expectations we formulate our own plan of action to respond and deter you in your pursuit. Think of the basic methodology of chess, you must be able to think ahead and expect what your opponent will do in order to decide what the best move for you to make is. What results is a complex game of expectations, a competition for optimal computation. This has innumerable applications ranging from business, political, and war strategy, practical philosophical reasoning, and to understanding everyday decisions and why we do what we do.