“I have to decide between $5 and $10. Suppose I decide to choose $5. I know that I’m a money-optimizer, so if I do this, $5 must be more money than $10, so this alternative is better. Therefore, I should choose $5.”
To me there is a sleight of hand there. The statement “I know that I’m a money-optimizer” is not a mathematical statement, but an empirical one, it can be tested through one’s actions. If you take $5 instead of $10, you are not a money-optimizer, even if you initially think you are, and that’s something, as an agent, you can learn about yourself by observing your actions.
From the link
To me there is a sleight of hand there. The statement “I know that I’m a money-optimizer” is not a mathematical statement, but an empirical one, it can be tested through one’s actions. If you take $5 instead of $10, you are not a money-optimizer, even if you initially think you are, and that’s something, as an agent, you can learn about yourself by observing your actions.