if then else

the mission of nearly every corporation. Collect data. Write code: if/then/else. Detect patterns. Predict behaviour. Direct action. Encourage consumption. Influence elections.

– Jill Lepore If Then, cited in aeon.co/essays/on-the-dangers-of-seeing-human-minds-as-predictive-machines

Thanks to my friend Anna Pakes for steering me towards aeon.co.