Dual Thinking System (DTS) Game Theory

Combining the Psychology of the Subconscious with Game Theory By Alexandros Sikamiotis

Pub. Date May 29th 2013. v1.00

1. The Basic Concept Game Theory, on the human level, is mostly involved with the conscious decisions that we make in order to maximize our results. However, for every conscious decision that we generate, or for every action that we take, the subconscious is always there observing what we consciously do and this can affect our next thoughts and actions. Depending on what we thought, or did in the past, the subconscious mind makes several assumptions which create self-reinforcing beliefs and self-suggestions. These subsconscious self-suggestions can be limiting or expansive our potential, depending their nature. In a Game scenario, cheating or using dirty means to advance one's prospects of winning is considered a profitable strategy if the cost/benefit analysis leans heavily towards benefit. In an environment where costly penalization seems unlikely, the player considers that the potential benefit of cheating far outweighs a potential penalty cost and thus opts for the benefit. The problem with this seemingly winning and rational strategy is this: It fails to calculate the wider implications and the long term implact on the human player. Why? Because when one engages in cheating a self-limiting suggestion is lodged into the player's subconscious which leads to long-term losses in consequent games / decisions. This is not normally something that is weighed properly during the decision making process. The subconscious observes the conscious mind cheating and generates an observation of this type: I am not really winning based on my superior skills or abilities. This then becomes a self-limiting suggestion of being weak: I cheat, therefore I'm incapable of doing X based on my own power.
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The subconscious is great at mechanizing and rewarding the mental patterns that we consider useful, all the while marginalizing the mental patterns that we do not prefer. If the subconscious observes that we prefer to go down the cheating route, it will marginalize clarity of thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, etc. The subconscious will also reward a pattern which is based on finding cheating or unethical workarounds with low-penalization potential as the seemingly easier way to do things. All long-term Games played by humans, which involve tens, hundreds or thousands of decisions, are ultimately compromised by a cost/benefit analysis that does not take into account the negative subconscious imprint of dirty choices as a real cost factor for the long-run. 2. Implications 2.1 Reviewing strategies When we realize that what seemed to be a zero-cost solution actually carries a large and enduring cost then we have to devise new game strategies or recalculate the costs and benefits of many of the existing game strategies. For example, picking opponents is a process which rationally goes like if A wants to increase the likelihood of winning, then A should pick opponent B which is considered weaker, rather than C which is considered stronger. Yet, when A picks B as an opponent, using this rationale, he is instantly undermining himself on a subconscious level, imprinting that he is not good against better opponents like C. If such a strategy is repeated over time, the subconscious will solidify the imprint of inadequacy and limitation, leading to an ever-worsening performance. However, if A is aware that by choosing B he is actually imprinting a subconscious admission of inadequacy and self-limitation, should he or should he not choose C? It depends. A strong belief in failure will usually act like a self-fulfilled prophecy for A no matter how this is expressed. The range of strategies that need to be recalculated is enormous - this is simply one example. Additionally new strategies can be created. For example, luring other players into a cheating mentality can actually be quite crippling for them in the long run - ensuring easy wins over them in various Game scenarios. Yet, if people use such tricks against others, it also generates a subconscious admission of self-failure to take others on a level playing ground and matching them / exceeding them without needing to undermine them first.
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Given that some of the established strategies must be turned upside-down, what is now considered as rational will change. This has the effect of redefining rationality and rational behavior. 2.2 Understanding the Subconscious A higher awareness must be placed on how our every thought and action programs our subconscious and what this means in practical terms for our lives. We can become conscious of the subconscious by simply asking ourselves what certain thoughts and actions really imply. Some of the findings can be pretty interesting. An understanding of what our thoughts and deeds imprint on our subconscious and what these imprints mean for our self-limitation or self-expansion, can totally change our daily habits and way of thinking to the better. 2.3 Morality and Society Religion and Law have worked, more or less, for thousands of years in controlling human societies but they are both based on a system of punishment by physical or metaphysical mechanisms - all external. The Law has the courts, while Religion has karma, hell, God's wrath etc. Law works if players are fearful of the consequences. Religion works if the player believes in its mechanisms, or if the player has a longterm focus on his afterlife (most people don't usually have such a long-term focus). The dual thinking system, where one conscious thought or deed produces a subconscious admission, can be the moral system of the 21st century and beyond. If the individual is made aware of how it works and society as a whole uses these principles, then it's just a matter of time before a lot of problematic behaviors are eliminated through self-control, knowing full well that punishment is guaranteed through an internal mechanism of self-limitation. On top of that, positive virtues can be spread: Intelligence / creativity, bravery, etc virtues which are currently blocked by the subconscious of most people through repeated self-limiting choices. Interestingly, our societies are engineered in a way where the individual is subtly getting the signal that it's O.K. to cheat, so long as you won't get caught. The individual is left to believe that if they can get away with it then they can get benefits without incurring cost. Yet, as with all things in nature, there is a natural equilibrium and the subconscious is the mechanism that will take care of this particular imbalance.

In a more educated society, why would anybody steal or cheat when they know this will make them dumber? Why would anyone harm others to advance their own position when they know that this is actually taking them back as a person by crippling their own creative potential? Why would anybody avoid a good challenge and self-sabotage themselves with inadequacy and self-limitation while doing so? Why would anybody receive external help when this undermines their own power? Even small things, like an ad hominem attack during a debate, will imprint an admission of personal failure, inadequacy and stupidity. So, from a Game Theory perspective, why would anybody consciously choose to become stupid, inadequate, useless and weak through their own thoughts and behaviors? 2.4 Champions mentality Some people, who are competing at the top level in sports, games, finance, business etc, adopt an approach of winning at all costs. By doing so, they usually tend to exploit all possible factors in order to give themselves the best possible advantage. However, by this very action they imprint their disbelief in themselves: They are registering the subconscious self-suggestion that they wouldn't be top-class if they weren't exploiting environmental factors to gain a further advantage - for if they were able to out-class others based on their own strengths, why would they need all these other means, some of which are pretty shady? 2.5 Computer-based artificial intelligence (AI) There is certainly a difference in how a human mind processes information compared to a computer algorithm. AI lacks the influence of the human subconscious and this can present a lot of interesting implications and ripples. For example, in a human vs AI faceoff, the AI won't really have the subconscious imprint issue to consider. Its intelligence won't be hampered in the long run if it chooses the quick and dirty way of doing something because its actions do not produce the same imprint. It can cheat and get away with it without self-crippling its capabilities. So, is a human who responds with an unethical strategy cheating? Is it legitimate? Will the subconscious be able to make such a distinction or will it register a self-admission of inadequacy? What if a lot of decisions are taken by AI on a collective scale and what if these are quick and dirty choices? What will then happen if the AI sets the tune of human morals, which can in turn cripple the human potential? Of course we first have to recover this potential before we become fearful of losing it. Humanity is currently at a state of massive self-limitation through less desirable subconscious imprints. These are a byproduct of our own thoughts and deeds.

2.6 Mapping human behavior Being effective in Game Theory, on the human level, is contingent on understanding how humans arrive at their choices. The task of mapping human behavior with a complete mathematical model is probably decades away and it has certainly shown that it can have wild deviations from rigid mathematical models which expect X (on paper) and get Z in real life due to human irrationality. Brain development, brain chemistry and emotions play a crucial role by increasing unpredictability. Mapping these will not be adequate for a full behavioral map as the conscious-subconscious relations must also be understood for their effect on human behavior. 3. Implementation Implementing DTS Game Theory is fundamentally a cost/benefit analysis which also factors in the hidden costs and benefits of subconsciously imprinted admissions. For most humans, it requires a re-training of their mental patterns in order to upgrade their mental software so that they can become more effective Game players. When players weigh their options and calculate a certain course of action, they should check whether their conclusion produces a self-limiting admission that can negatively affect consequent decisions in the same or other Games. If the answer is yes, maybe it is best for the player to find another option. 4. Paper and author The content of this paper can be distributed, printed and shared without alterations and with proper attribution. If you want to use it for commercial purposes you have to first ask the author who retains the copyright for this material. The author can be contacted at alekshs[at]hotmail.com.