People have cognitive processes, of which they are less than fully aware. During sequential decision-making, their preferences change in ways that the individuals cannot foresee. As a result, people act in time-inconsistent ways.
Some people attend a cult meeting just out of curiosity, with no intention of joining the group.
At the end of a series of meetings, they do join the group. If they could have seen the change in their preference, they would not have attended the first meeting. Sequential decision-making is important. It decreases the cost of procrastinating. It is used to diminish opposition to the desired preference change.