I think the answer in the parenthetical is probably closer to the mark. But it’s still the case that even in the “warm” moment I wouldn’t have paid $5+ for a bag of M&Ms, so it doesn’t totally work.
Your happiness was strictly a result of answering YES to question 1, and it was a System 1 judgment that happened before you had time to think about question 2. The subsequent realization that YES on #1 implies having $4 less than NO (via question 2) is a System 2 judgment, so it didn’t occur until (much) after the happiness had occurred, and because it is System 2 rather than System 1, the feeling that it would have been better if it were a $5 doesn’t feel anywhere near as strong as the feeling that you can get M&Ms.
I think the answer in the parenthetical is probably closer to the mark. But it’s still the case that even in the “warm” moment I wouldn’t have paid $5+ for a bag of M&Ms, so it doesn’t totally work.
I think there are two questions being resolved:
Do I get to eat M&Ms or not?
Is the bill a $1 or something higher?
Your happiness was strictly a result of answering YES to question 1, and it was a System 1 judgment that happened before you had time to think about question 2. The subsequent realization that YES on #1 implies having $4 less than NO (via question 2) is a System 2 judgment, so it didn’t occur until (much) after the happiness had occurred, and because it is System 2 rather than System 1, the feeling that it would have been better if it were a $5 doesn’t feel anywhere near as strong as the feeling that you can get M&Ms.