To non-gamers, playing through losses disguised as wins can seem irrational. But it’s textbook human behavior. Let’s return to the example of our crappy car. Pretend we turn the key to our car, and nothing happens. So we turn the key again. Nothing. But when we turn the key a third time, the engine cranks and putters for a second, making sounds as if it were going to turn on. Then it goes silent and doesn’t come to life. With this “loss disguised as a win” we will, of course, immediately turn the key again. We will sit there turning the key so long as the engine gives us signs of life. It’s
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