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Make decisions rationally

Context

When faced with a need to make a decision, a conscious agent might choose one of the following strategies.

  • Choose randomly

    Choose a random alternative and hope for the best. In a population of agents large enough, someone will be lucky enough to survive.

  • Imitate

    Copy a solution taken by another agent, maybe the leader of the group, maybe someone old enough to have experience in similar predicaments.

  • Reason

    Build a model of the situation and try to rationally deduce the optimal course of action.

Decision

Lean towards rational decision making whenever possible.

Consequences

➕ Pro

  • Probability for success:
    • much higher than for a random choice,
    • often higher than for imitation;
  • Capable of long term optimization;
  • Capable of finding paths on the fitness landscape beyond local optima

➖ Contra

  • Expensive in terms of time and effort,
    • which leads to inherently bounded rationality,
    • but can be corrected by technology.