Scarcity Architecture: Bandwidth, Tunneling, and Errors

This article explores the concept of scarcity architecture, defining it as a specific shift in cognitive regime, not just a lack of physical resources. The author explains how the mind, under pressure from scarcity, automatically prioritizes pressing needs, leading to the phenomenon of attentional tunneling. While this mechanism allows for short-term problem-solving (the attention dividend), it also generates a high cognitive cost, known as the bandwidth tax. The lack of slack in the decision-making system impairs fluid intelligence and executive control, resulting in poorer long-term decision-making quality. The article sheds new light on the psychological and economic consequences of scarcity, drawing on a scientifically validated paradigm of brain function under constraints.