Should I Stay Or Should I Go? - The Clash

Assignment:

The Clash sings about the angst of decision making in their song “Shall I Stay or Should I Go?” Economic theory states that rational decision makers weigh the marginal benefit one receives from an option with its marginal cost, including the opportunity cost. The lyrics give us a rough assessment of the costs (“If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay it will be double”). However, little is mentioned regarding the marginal benefit. In fact, the singer tells us that he needs additional information (“Darling you gotta let me know”) and fears that he must make a decision under conditions of imperfect information.

Speculate on what the marginal benefits and the marginal costs might be for staying and going.
What are the opportunity costs? How does knowing that the cost of staying is double influence the decision? Is the singer being a rational decision maker attempting to make a decision under conditions of uncertainty, or is he irrational, unclear of his preferences, and waiting for someone else to make the decision for him? Stay? Go?

[Provided by Jim Davis, Santa Rosa Junior College]