Trust and betrayal
Perceived long-term visions
Mutual reputational calculus
Contextual and shifting interests
This moves the theoretical conversation away from static optimizations and toward relationally-anchored rationality, where decisions are made not just based on individual payoff, but on:
The zone an actor perceives themselves to be in (e.g., cooperative, ambiguous, adversarial).
The projected trajectory of that zone (toward alignment or collapse).
The latent cost or benefit of transitioning between zones (including emotional, symbolic, or cultural capital).
2. Multidimensional Utility Function: Beyond Payoff
In RZE, utility is a multi-dimensional construct. The agent's decision calculus includes not only:
Tangible payoffs (profits, market share),
 but also:
Zone continuity (e.g., preserving cooperation vs escalating conflict)
Relational credibility
Ambiguity tolerance
Strategic silence or delay as rational actions under Yellow zones
This expanded utility function formalizes aspects of behavior that behavioral economics merely identifies as anomalies or bounded rationality, offering a systematic structure to interpret "irrational" behaviors as rational within the zone-relational logic.
3. Temporality and Long-Termism in Rational Action
Whereas classical rationality is largely ahistorical and snapshot-based, RZE embeds:
Memory functions: Agents adjust based on the quality of past interactions.
Future visions: Actors may choose suboptimal short-term moves to invest in a Jernih (clear, visionary) future.
Zone transitions: Actions are evaluated not just for current utility but for their impact on future zone dynamics.
This formalizes the often-marginalized role of strategic patience, sacrificial reciprocity, or delayed retaliation in economic interaction.
4. Modeling Rationality under Ambiguity
Unlike Bayesian rationality, which assumes definable probabilities even under uncertainty, RZE introduces zone-based ambiguity where:
Intentions are semi-visible or deliberately opaque.
Cooperation and betrayal may coexist in certain Yellow zones.
The "rational" strategy may involve maintaining ambiguity for strategic positioning or information gathering.
This extension enables the modeling of behavior that has traditionally been relegated to sociological or anthropological domains, integrating them back into economic theory through a formal structure.
5. Philosophical and Ethical Implications
