Maybe you could question the oracle about something that’s not under your control? A big, life-affecting example would be whether an expatriate’s visa renewal gets accepted. (I hear the US uses a lottery system for renewals these days.) But even that, you can guard against the bad outcomes of loosing your visa somewhat, by saving more and searching for a job elsewhere.
Is there anything that people dislike being uncertain of, but don’t behave differently based on the outcome? Or is there anything where we can pretend that someone else is making the necessary preparations for the true outcome for you whether you pay the oracle or not? (In the visa example, maybe you already have a potential job lined up, or you’re in a profession where the job search wouldn’t take long anyway, or there’s some exit payment that’s enough to cover the time you spend searching after returning home.)
Maybe you could question the oracle about something that’s not under your control? A big, life-affecting example would be whether an expatriate’s visa renewal gets accepted. (I hear the US uses a lottery system for renewals these days.) But even that, you can guard against the bad outcomes of loosing your visa somewhat, by saving more and searching for a job elsewhere.
Is there anything that people dislike being uncertain of, but don’t behave differently based on the outcome? Or is there anything where we can pretend that someone else is making the necessary preparations for the true outcome for you whether you pay the oracle or not? (In the visa example, maybe you already have a potential job lined up, or you’re in a profession where the job search wouldn’t take long anyway, or there’s some exit payment that’s enough to cover the time you spend searching after returning home.)