The opponent is attacking you with a big army. You have a choice: you can let the attack through and lose in two turns, or you can send your creature out to die in your defense and lose in three turns. If you were trying to postpone losing, you would send out the creature. But you’re more likely to actually win if you keep your forces alive … [a]nd so you ask “how do I win?” to remind yourself of that.
This specific bit on it’s own is probably quite fruitfully generalizable. You have so many heuristics and subgoals that, after holding them for a long time, they may be partially converted by your brain into intrinsic values and top-level goals. When things get hairy, it’s probably normal to lose sight of your initial purpose that generated those heuristics and goals and to follow them when they no longer apply.
This specific bit on it’s own is probably quite fruitfully generalizable. You have so many heuristics and subgoals that, after holding them for a long time, they may be partially converted by your brain into intrinsic values and top-level goals. When things get hairy, it’s probably normal to lose sight of your initial purpose that generated those heuristics and goals and to follow them when they no longer apply.