I'd go for number 2. He's looking at it rationally, but our drives don't really boil down to bits and bytes at the end. And if anything, I think that self-delus

I'd go for number 2. He's looking at it rationally, but our drives don't really boil down to bits and bytes at the end. And if anything, I think that self-delusion or vain hope for something better can play a role too.