Our stated reasons for doing something are rarely our true reasons, and NEVER the complete reasons.
Most cases I can think of regarding this particular failing are NOT failure to understand that an action is not optimal toward a stated goal, nor failure to consider return-on-invested-time. It’s plain old procrastination or “simple” akrasia, with a veneer of deniability for signaling (often self-signaling) purposes.
Our stated reasons for doing something are rarely our true reasons, and NEVER the complete reasons.
Most cases I can think of regarding this particular failing are NOT failure to understand that an action is not optimal toward a stated goal, nor failure to consider return-on-invested-time. It’s plain old procrastination or “simple” akrasia, with a veneer of deniability for signaling (often self-signaling) purposes.