ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Causal decision theory

Causal Decision Theory is like a way to think about making the right choice when you have different options to choose from.

Let's say you have a toy box and inside it, there are two toys - a car and a ball. You really like both toys, but you can only pick one to play with right now. So, how do you decide which one to choose?

Causal Decision Theory says that you should choose the toy that will lead to the best outcome for you, based on what you want to achieve. If you want to play a game of catch, then you should choose the ball. But if you want to play pretend driving, then you should choose the car.

The important thing is to think about the consequences of your choice and what you really want to happen afterwards. You need to imagine the future and picture yourself playing with your chosen toy. Then you can decide which one will make you the happiest.

Overall, Causal Decision Theory helps us to make better choices by considering what will cause the outcomes we desire.