4.1 ｜Section 1 The Hidden Mechanism of Human Action

Section 1 | The Hidden Mechanism of Human Action

I want to start with a question: How do you believe you typically take action? Most people would assume our action process follows this general path:

1. First, observe the situation, collect information, and analyze reality.
2. Form a judgment based on the evidence.
3. Finally, take action based on that rational judgment.

This is the logic of "deliberate before acting"—the default mechanism taught in modern education and corporate systems. But in reality, this logic is merely the "explicit portion" of the truth. The mechanism that truly drives us is entirely different—in fact, it is practically the opposite.

There are essentially two "selves" controlling your actions:

• The Conscious Self: The one you think is in charge.
• The Subconscious Self: The one hidden beneath the surface that is actually in control.

Does this sound unbelievable? Let’s illustrate this with an everyday example.

Example: When You Decide to Buy a New Phone

You believe your decision-making process looks like this:

1. You feel it's time for a change—perhaps your old phone is slow or you want better performance.
2. You search for specs, models, prices, and features.
3. You pick a model with good value, choose a platform, and make the purchase.

On the surface, this is perfectly rational. But once we deconstruct it layer by layer, you will find a vast array of "prior beliefs" hidden behind every step.

1. You must "believe" you need a new phone.

If you didn't believe this, you wouldn't act at all. But why do you believe it?

• You might believe phone lag is the cause of your inefficiency, rather than your own lack of focus.
• You believe a new product will bring emotional value or status.
• You believe you can afford it.Notice: Not everyone who experiences lag buys a new phone. This proves that action is driven by "belief," not "facts."

2. Your "search method" is dictated by belief.

Do you search for the lowest price? (Because you believe value-for-money is paramount). Or do you search for brand reputation? (Because you believe brand equals quality). Different people see entirely different search results because they possess different "internal beliefs."

3. The final purchase method is driven by belief.

You might choose an offline store because you believe "certainty and experience are worth more than money." Or you choose an e-commerce site because you believe "price is everything."

All these "rational" choices are merely the outward manifestation of internal beliefs. You think you are making a rational decision, but you are actually acting upon a subconscious preset.

What Does This Example Prove?

Every single human action is backed by a stack of hidden "beliefs." This leads us to a critical realization:

Humans do not "see it to believe it"; we "believe it to see it."

This is a core principle validated repeatedly by psychology and cognitive science. We think we follow the path of Observation $\to$ Understanding $\to$ Evaluation $\to$ Action. We assume we see facts first, then form judgments.

However, decades of research show the true path is closer to:

Preset (Belief) $\to$ Action $\to$ Result $\to$ Interpreting the Result with the Preset $\to$ Reinforcing or Weakening the Belief $\to$ The Next Cycle of Action.