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That's a distinction without a difference. An addict who says they prefer to abstain but doesn't, doesn't actually prefer to abstain.

Where preferences come from is irrelevant. De gustibus non disputandum est.




This is conflating desires/aspirations/preferences with basic drives.

Everyone has base instincts that we inherited through evolution, and more evolutionarily recent executive control that we have to exercise and develop. "Revealed preference" tends to manipulate the base instinct at the expense of executive control.


No. Revealed preferences are manipulative bullshit. Calling choices forced by external conditions (whether it's your own addiction, manipulative headlines or strong market pressure) choices is just a way to whitewash deeply immoral manipulation, and justify selfishness as serving others what they "want".


By that logic, there is no such thing as addiction.




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