ABSTRACT
Sometimes we think and then act; other times we act and then make our excuses. The difference in intentionality described by this contrast has important practical consequences. Within our legal system, lawyers invest time and effort trying to convince a jury that their client did not intend to commit an illegal act or was unaware of what he or she was doing when the act occurred. Intentionality weighs heavily in the final verdict; the penalty for a criminal act is more severe when an act is judged to be intentional.
