newyorktimes = the matrix

I read an interesting op-ed at Newyorktimes.com a few days ago. I'm a sucker for writings that bring to light the true complexities of a seemingly one-step, simple act. The article was entitled 'The Behavioral Revolution.' Its premise was to deconstruct the decision-making process. After this, the author then explained how this deconstruction is deseperately needed in Washington. I'll spare you the political aspects of this article and just briefly summarize his thought process.

The author states that there are roughly four steps in the decision-making process:
1. you perceive a situation
2. you think of possible courses of action
3. you calculate which course is in your best interest
4. you take a course of action

These four-steps are based on the assumption that people are mostly rationally engaged in maximizing their self-interest in a particular situation.

The punch line is pretty much, "focus on step one, not step three." We should firstly be most concerned with perception instead of calculation. Our goal should be to clearly and accurately perceive a situation in an un-biased and objectively prudent way. Only then can we correctly and most efficiently calculate possible courses of action.

I was reminded of this line of thinking while watching The Matrix Reloaded a few days ago. The Merovingian tells Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity that they come to him without 'why,' thus without power. He points out to them that they know what they are doing, but they do not truly know why, and this is due to their apparent lack of perception concerning the initial happenings of a circumstance.