The general problem of prioritization

Resources in our decision-making are fundamentally limited. We cannot pursue all goals and we cannot pursue any subset of goals in all the ways they can be pursued. In other words: We have to engage in prioritization. This universal and basic need for prioritization is the general principle of prioritization. Real-world decision-making routinely violates the general principle of prioritization; this routine violation is the general problem of prioritization. The general problem of prioritization is caused by a number of factors, both on the individual micro- as well as on the more aggregate meso- and macro-levels. Given the importance of rational prioritization, reducing the general problem of prioritization, not least in the realm of policy-making, is a top priority.