I often think about the choices people make, the choices I've made, often poor choices. In retrospect, actually in some cases even at the time, better options are clear but not taken. People will chose what is less convienient, less safe, less attractive, more difficult but which provides no offsetting gain at all.

I have a clear example of this with snow. The buildings I live in have two sets of outside stairs. One set stays very protected from the weather, these stairs are always...