Unfortunately, there are some aspects of life where zero sum thinking is detrimental- for example, in running a business successfully at the expense of those businesses in the same sector.
Yes, very much so. In fact, I think there are more aspects where zero sum thinking is detrimental. The competition is the exception and not the rule for us.
This was a valuable read. I have always thought our economic system has been designed by people who subscribe to the Zero Sum principle, for them to win the rest must lose. It isn’t true, civilisation is created and maintained through cooperation.
Yes! The economic "how we got here" is very complicated, and there's a lot less intelligent design behind it than most folks understand, I think - in other words, we got here organically, not through planning. Cooperation is baked into the current system every bit as much as competition is, and both aspects are important.
I agree completely. The Bank of England was a short term fix to a Monarch’s demand for money. Company stocks were invented by the Dutch East India company to finance their ships. There is no grand plan, just an assembly of fixes.
But how am I supposed to cooperate with people who are all vastly inferior to me?! Not only that, but they accuse me of being elitist and dillusional for some reason.
Also, on today's episode of "What goes through Daniel's brain as he reads Andrew's titles and assumes things," I first thought the title was a play on "Zero Dark Thirty."
Winning / losing in games and sports is fun. We like to compete; not so interesting when everyone gets a trophy. Having one winner in biz or society - now thats not a game. I was at this old (Zapotec - 2500 years ago) city earlier in the week and they had this game court kind of like soccer and rumor has it the losers got sacrificed so there’s some motivation for you!
Unfortunately, there are some aspects of life where zero sum thinking is detrimental- for example, in running a business successfully at the expense of those businesses in the same sector.
Yes, very much so. In fact, I think there are more aspects where zero sum thinking is detrimental. The competition is the exception and not the rule for us.
This was a valuable read. I have always thought our economic system has been designed by people who subscribe to the Zero Sum principle, for them to win the rest must lose. It isn’t true, civilisation is created and maintained through cooperation.
Yes! The economic "how we got here" is very complicated, and there's a lot less intelligent design behind it than most folks understand, I think - in other words, we got here organically, not through planning. Cooperation is baked into the current system every bit as much as competition is, and both aspects are important.
As far as I can tell the origin of what became money stretches all the way back to the Halaf culture 8000 years ago.
I think it goes much further back even than that, but I've also circled around to the idea that debt long predated money.
I agree completely. The Bank of England was a short term fix to a Monarch’s demand for money. Company stocks were invented by the Dutch East India company to finance their ships. There is no grand plan, just an assembly of fixes.
I love how complex it all is. I can't imagine getting tired of peeling back all these layers, you know?
But how am I supposed to cooperate with people who are all vastly inferior to me?! Not only that, but they accuse me of being elitist and dillusional for some reason.
Also, on today's episode of "What goes through Daniel's brain as he reads Andrew's titles and assumes things," I first thought the title was a play on "Zero Dark Thirty."
I was a little tentative on the title today.
Winning / losing in games and sports is fun. We like to compete; not so interesting when everyone gets a trophy. Having one winner in biz or society - now thats not a game. I was at this old (Zapotec - 2500 years ago) city earlier in the week and they had this game court kind of like soccer and rumor has it the losers got sacrificed so there’s some motivation for you!
Dang, you got to see something super duper cool! I wrote about this game a bit: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/rubber-barons
It seems like different reasons for them to play evolved over the centuries.
That's it!
Interesting - as always. If I remember correctly, they talk about non zero sum game in the movie Arrival. Thanks for your work
I enjoyed Arrival, but my exposure to Game Theory has happened since I saw that film. Maybe it's time for a revisit in a couple of years.