Interim Order on Gym Bag Permanent Packing
A counterfactual examination of the world in which the bag is unpacked and the workout is, consequently, skipped.
Counterfactual Analysis: Gym Bag Permanent Packing
Background
The subject packed a gym bag on the evening of Monday. The bag contains shoes, a change of clothing, a water bottle, earphones, and a small towel. These items are fully functional. They are also, as of this writing, in the bag in the hall.
Today is Sunday.
The Question
What would have happened if the bag had been unpacked on Thursday, when the subject first acknowledged that the gym visit was unlikely to occur that week?
Counterfactual Reconstruction
Thursday, Unpacking Scenario:
The subject unpacks the bag. The shoes are returned to the wardrobe. The clothing is refolded or placed in a laundry basket. The water bottle is refilled and placed in the kitchen. The towel is hung.
The gym visit does not occur on Thursday in either this scenario or the original.
Friday, Unpacking Scenario:
Without the bag in the hall, the subject passes through the hall on Friday and does not see the bag. This is the functionally significant departure from the original scenario. In the original, the bag provides a low-cost signal of ongoing fitness intention. The subject passes the bag, acknowledges the signal, and continues.
In the unpacking scenario, the hall contains no such signal. The subject's fitness intention is present but unexternalized. The gym visit does not occur on Friday in either scenario.
Weekend, Unpacking Scenario:
The subject considers the gym on Saturday and determines that re-packing would be required before going. Re-packing is a small effort. The gym visit does not occur on Saturday in either scenario. On Sunday, the subject repacks the bag. It is placed in the hall.
Finding
Unpacking the bag would have resulted in an identical exercise log accompanied by a brief period of re-packing effort. The packed bag's practical contribution to the week's physical activity was zero. Its symbolic contribution was measurable: the subject described themselves, when asked, as "someone who goes to the gym."
This description is technically not a claim about recent events.
Status
The bag remains packed. The bag is correct.