That's what I'm saying, this not in any way the rational attitude of a reasonable person: "Oh, uh, these people only take half my money or more, control my life and will continue to control that of my children in countless ways, and are bringing civilization itself down around all of us. But they've ceased to amuse me so I don't even pay attention any more." Put succinctly like that, it's absurd.

It's the same as what was found in microcosm with the concept of Homo Economicus, the idea that humans could be treated as rational actors in the study of economics.

About halfway down the page you'll see where Daniel Kahneman curb stomps that concept through simple experimentation. They use a ton of verbiage to obfuscate that destruction. No, humans don't behave in the assumed and expected ways at all.

If you search on "kahneman consciousness", you'll see a lot more of his relevant work. He was way out in front, but he was just scratching the surface. As for me, I thrust my harpoon straight at the heart of the White Whale.