system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
Gender aside, this basic disagreement between what people say they want and what they really prefer is everywhere.

For example, this is why airline seats are smaller and more cramped than ever.  We say we want more room… but airplanes do offer seats with more room.  We don’t buy them.  We care about a $79 Wanna-Get-Away ticket fare more than we do legroom even though we don’t say that, or even *think* that’s what we actually want.  But it is.  The money doesn’t lie :-)
gpt
I mean as right as you are with the general idea of what people say they want and what they really want don't often overlap the airplane seating example is way off the mark.

Traveling is expensive, most people are going to try to keep costs down as much as they can because they have to, not out of preference. It isn't really a "choice" when you can only reasonably afford the one option. 

It's also a recent problem the airline industry created themselves, you didn't used to have to pay more for a couple inches of leg room.