Sunk Cost Fallacy

Movie theater, Saturday evening, 7:47 p.m. You bought your $20 ticket thirty minutes ago. The film is — truly — terrible. The plot makes no sense, the dialogue is wooden, and the man beside you is already asleep. A glance at your phone: your friend Jiwon at the café — 'Where are you?? Been waiting 30 minutes 😭' No refunds. Ninety minutes of film to go. The café is a five-minute walk away. Your friend is moving abroad next week, and tonight is the last chance to see her. On screen, the lead actor delivers another meaningless line. Standing up feels — somehow — like wasting the $20 you already paid. But your friend is running out of time, and the film is never going to get better. Your hand twitches on the armrest.