Painful Puzzle

[Borodog]

Well, the trick is in the statement of the choices I think. The situation doesn't seem to be analogous to, "I prefer redheads to brunettes, I prefer brunettes to blondes, therefore I prefer redheads to blondes."

So, "I prefer some pain for some time to slightly less pain for twice that time, I prefer some pain for some time to slightly less pain for twice that time, I prefer some pain for some time to slightly less pain for twice that time, . . . , I prefer some pain for some time to slightly less pain for twice that time, therefore I prefer some pain for some time to far less pain for twice that time" does not follow.

But in that case, it doesn't look like I'm arguing against the transitivity of choice so much as the form of the choices.