Misunderstandings in Agency: Examining Scenarios Designed for Action

Intelligibility—a mental disposition—is linked to sense-making, which is shaped by what occurs in the scene as the subject interacts with other agents. Building on this premise, this paper analyzes how action functions within social contexts, particularly when misunderstandings arise within agency. This proposal will be developed by examining the television series The Rehearsal (2022), created by Nathan Fielder, through Luciano Floridi’s concept of enveloping. We will suggest that rationally planned scenarios rarely unfold as predicted, since factors such as emotional states or the responses of other agents interrupt the initial planning—indicating that social enveloping faces significant limits when applied to human agency. Through this case, we will further argue that agency should be considered hybrid, as it involves both the subject’s mind and the environment within which they interact.