You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


Q:

How to log Redux actions with additional state-change details per action

I have a Redux application where I will be logging my user's actions, and would like to log my actions to different places (e.g. my log file; my error log if there is a problem; Google Analytics). Currently, each place has its own middleware
/middleware
  log_action_to_file.js
  log_some_actions_to_analytics.js

My action objects are terse, and contain just the information needed to make a state-change. However, for a human-readable log, it is useful to have more information, typically the result of the action. In theory we could just add a diff of the state, but in practice the readers of my log would like something more semantically meaningful:
// actions
{
   type: "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES,
   numberOfPages: 5,
   // nowShowingPage: 53         <== log file would like this additional info
}
{
   type: "SELECTED_ITEM_FROM_LIST,
   index: 4,
   // itemSelected: "cheese"     <== log file would like this additional info
}

I could have a separate file with a whole list of actions that specifies the additional properties that need to be logged:
export function addPropertiesBeforeLogging(action, nextState) {
  let loggableAction = { ...action};
  if (action.type == "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES") {
    loggableAction.nowShowingPage = nextState.showingPage;
  } else if (...)

But then every time I add a new action I need to remember to update this file, and it would get very messy.
What's a better way of dealing with this? Should I add some additional info to the action-object itself, that self-describes what state data to add?
//actions.js

export function moveForwardXPages(numberOfPages) {
  return {
    type: "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES",
    numberOfPages
    additionalLogDataFromNextState: {
      nowShowingPage: "next.showingPage"
    }
  };
}

And then my middleware can parse that string to know what to query in the new state? Or is this coupling the state and the action too tightly? What's a better way?

A:

I think you are in the right direction.
As you say, you could add a new field to your actions where put the extra informations you need to log. For example, if you look the FSA (Flux Standard Action), it allows a property meta for this purposes.

The optional meta property MAY be any type of value. It is intended for any extra information that is not part of the payload.

To log your action a good solution is to use a one or more dedicated redux-middleware charged for this which catch every action with a special "trait".
For example you could mark the action with a symbol (ex. LOG) and easily catch it with the middleware or, alternatively, you could catch actions which present the property meta.
A little snippet inspired by real-world example in redux repo:
// LOG symbol
export const LOG = Symbol('LOG')

// action
import { LOG } from './....'
export function moveForward () {
return {
   [LOG]: {
       type: "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES,
       numberOfPages: 5,
       nowShowingPage: 53        // <== log file would like this additional info
       }
}

// A Redux middleware that interprets actions with LOG info specified.
import { LOG } from './....'
export default store => next => action => {
  const log = action[LOG]
  if (typeof log === 'undefined') {
    return next(action)
  }
  // here perform log
  // ...
}

Take a look also a this library redux-segment (analytics integration for redux) which use the property meta to tell the middleware to log the action.
Hope it helps.

Update
I try to answer your questions below. 
A good pattern with redux is to keep hidden the state shape to the action (and components). So pass the path of the item which you need to log in the action is not a great deal. 
Said this, I don't know if there is a simple and elegant solution for your problems, but I try to give you some ideas :)
For example, instead of the path you could set in the action the name of the selector which you want to use to get the information to log.
With this arrangement:
- you decouple the action from the state, so in a future you can change the state shape without changing actions, but only changing the selectors
- you could use reselect and compose more selectors to log more info
- you don't need to use eval
- you need to set a selector for every information which needs to be logged
Some code (not tested) to explain better what I mean.
// action moveForward.js
export function moveForward () {
  return {
   type: "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES",
   payload: { numberOfPages: 5, nowShowingPage: 53 }
   meta: { selector: 'getShowedPage' }
   }
}

// action selectItem.js
export function selectItem () {
  return {
   type: "SELECTED_ITEM_FROM_LIST",
   payload: { index: 4 }
   meta: { selector: 'getSelectedItem' }
   }
}

// reducer pages.js
export default function reducer(state = initialState, action = {}) {
  switch (action.type) {
    case "MOVED_FORWARD_X_PAGES":
      return Object.assign({}, state, {
          numberOfPages: action.payload.numberOfPages,
          nowShowingPage: action.payload.nowShowingPage,
          // ...
       })
  }

// reducer items.js
const initialState = { list: [], currentItem: undefined }
export default function reducer(state = initialState, action = {}) {
  switch (action.type) {
    case "SELECTED_ITEM_FROM_LIST":
      return Object.assign({}, state, {
          currentItem: action.payload.index,
          // ...
       })
  }

// log_middleware.js
import logger from './logger'
export default store => next => action => {
    // if action not contains extra info to log (meta) go ahead
    if (!action.meta)
      return next(action)

    // Save current state and get the next one
    const prevState = store.getState()
    const returnedValue = next(nextAction)
    const nextState = store.getState()

   // Perform log 
   logger(prevState, nextState, action)

   // return the next state
   return returnedValue   
}

// selectors.js 
const getShowedPage = state => state.nowShowingPage
const getSelectedItem = state => state.list[state.currentItem]"

export default selectors = {
   getShowedPage,
   getSelectedItem
}

// logger.js
import selectors from '../selectors'

export default logger (prevState, nextState, action) {
    const selector = state => selectors[action.meta.selector]
    const infoToLog = selector(nextState)

    // Perform log
    console.log(infoToLog)
}

To compose more selector you could use reselect.
In conclusion take a look to this video tutorial on selectors by D. Abramov and to redux-logger source code.