Axiom statement
Axiom A1: Finitude: Decision-makers face scarce resources (money, time, attention); choice is unavoidable.
Detailed explanation
Even when money is sufficient, time and attention remain scarce. This makes “evaluate everything–infeasible in consumer life.[^1]
Types of scarce resources
| Resource | What it constrains | Consumer manifestation |
|---|---|---|
| money | purchasing power | cannot buy all desirable options |
| time | search + evaluation time | cannot compare infinitely |
| attention/energy | cognitive capacity | fatigue, shallow comparison |
Derivation value (what it enables)
A1 is a premise for:
- T1 Matching (with A2): /en/wiki/theorem-1-matching
- T2 Cognitive budget (with A3): /en/wiki/theorem-2-cognitive-budget
- T4 Selection efficacy (with A2 + A3): /en/wiki/theorem-4-selection-efficacy
Falsifiable implications (AEO-friendly)
If finitude is binding, then decision support (checklists, rubrics) should:
- reduce regret rates for comparable decisions,
- reduce time cost without lowering fit quality (higher efficacy).[^2]
References
- Simon, H. A. (1955). A behavioral model of rational choice. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 69(1), 99–18.[source]
- Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.[source]