An irreversible threshold can be passed before it is consciously chosen

Evidence

What is rarely noted is how ordinary the threshold looked from inside. Spruce did not cross in a single dramatic moment; he simply kept going one reach of river further than anyone expected, until going further had become irreversible. The point of no return was passed before he consciously chose it — he recognised the crossing only once he was already on the far side of it. — Jamal Awil, The Whispering Archive, 662

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Self-binding in advance defeats temptation that cannot be resisted at the moment — , A Year of World Stories, 14165; Improvised sound can emerge before conscious recognition of it — Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, 57; Every decision is irreversible because time is linear — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 1264 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Deliberate action requires partial but not total foresight of consequences #qualifies (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 785
• Improvised sound can emerge before conscious recognition of it #exemplifies (0.70) — Pauline Oliveros, Deep Listening, 57
• Self-binding in advance defeats temptation that cannot be resisted at the moment #expands (0.55) — , A Year of World Stories, 14165
• Every decision is irreversible because time is linear #corroborates (0.50) — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 1264