Negative sum, zero sum, and correction (Game Theory tricks)

In the fable of Lagan Dan, this is about the game between the fox and the wolf.

 

One night, the fox walked up to the well and leaned down to see the shadow of the moon on the bottom of the well. it thought it was a big cheese. The hungry fox crossed into a bucket and fell down to the bottom of the well, raising the other bucket connected to the well. When I got down, it realized that this "Cheese" was not enough. I had made a big mistake and the situation was very unfavorable. In the long run, I had to wait for death. If there is no other ELE. me to beat the moon's idea, in the same way. How can we expect it to go back to the ground again when we change it from an embarrassing situation?

 

Two days and two nights have passed. No animal patronizes the water well. The time passes by at 1 minute 1 second, and the silver moon begins to appear. When the frustrated fox was not doing anything, just a thirsty wolf passed through the place, and the fox couldn't help but look forward to it. He said to the wolf, "Hello, man, I will entertain you for a good meal for free. What do you think? '"The Fox pointed to the Moon at the bottom of the well and said to the wolf," Have you seen this? This is a delicious cheese. It was made from the milk of the e-moth, the god of the livestock forest. If the King of God is ill, he will have an appetite for this delicious food. I have eaten the half of the cheese, and the remaining half is enough for you to eat. Please let us fall into the trap in the bucket that I specially prepared for you ." The fox tried to make the story a seamless one, and the Wolf really fell victim to it. The wolf went down to the well, and its weight allowed the fox to ascend to the well head. The fox trapped for two days was finally saved.

 

In this story, the game between foxes and wolves is called a zero-sum game. A zero-sum game is a completely adversarial and highly competitive alternative. In the outcome of a zero-sum game, the sum of the gains of a participant is zero (or a constant), and the gains of one participant are the loss of another participant. The Fox and the wolf are on the top, the one is on the bottom, and the one below is on the top, you have to find a way to let the one on the top come down. However, after switching positions through the game, one is still on the top and the other is on the bottom.

 

Mao Yushi, a famous economist, once said: "before the market economy, the self-interest of mankind hinders others and harms people ." He gave an example and said that in the past, the Emperor and the Minister were playing such a game that he could exploit you and copy your house. Hugh could create a rebellion against him to win his world. One Party is profitable. One party is damaged. That is a zero-sum game. In fact, it is precisely because of this zero-sum game that has repeatedly staged that every page of Chinese history is filled with conspiracy and blood, in addition, the cultural concept of "non-toxic, non-negative, non-Husband" is deeply rooted in the consciousness of every Chinese.

 

However, today, apart from power struggles and military conflicts, in real life, there are very few "You have no me" situations like the fox and wolf in the fable. In the market economy, if you want to get the benefits, you must cooperate with others so that you can get a win-win result. Not only do you get the benefits, but your competitors also get the benefits. Therefore, the most mysterious part of the market economy arrangement is that it is agreed by both parties. Any transaction must be approved by both parties, and the buyer must make money. the seller also makes money and wealth is created: This is a non-zero-sum game corresponding to the zero-sum game.

 

The so-called non-zero-sum game is a game of both confrontation and cooperation. The objectives of each participant are not completely opposite, and the game shows various situations. Sometimes, participants only make decisions based on their own interests. The sum of outcome benefits is variable, and participants can gain or lose at the same time.

 

For example, in the fable of Lagan Dan, if the fox sees the wolf at the wellhead and thinks that I am suffering from sin in the well, you should not feel comfortable. He does not deceive the wolf to sit down in the bucket. but let the wolf jump down, so the final outcome will be that both the wolf and the fox are trapped in the well and cannot extricate themselves. This kind of non-zero-sum game is called a negative game and a game.

 

On the contrary, if the wolf understands that the fox has fallen into the well and moved a stone to the bucket above it, he can use the weight of the stone to pull the fox. Or, if the fox worries that the wolf does not have this kind of willingness to help others, he will drag the wolf up again with stones after reaching the wellhead by deception. The final outcome of these two methods is that both participants are in the well. Therefore, both parties are engaged in a positive and game.

 

In fact, this positive and game thinking is not only a kind of economic wisdom, but also can be applied to all aspects of life to solve many seemingly irreconcilable contradictions and the deadlock between you and me. If we look at the problems that seem zero-sum or negative, from a broader perspective, there is no solution, and it is often not necessary to sacrifice the interests of one party.

 

One winter morning, several readers are reading books in a community library. At this moment, a reader stood up and said, "the air in this room is too stuffy. You 'd better open the window to breathe ." Then he walked to the window and planned to open the window. However, his behavior was opposed by a reader sitting right beside the window. The reader said: "in the winter, the wind outside is too busy. When a window is opened, the cold will be frozen ." So one insisted on opening and the other insisted on not giving up. The two men had a dispute. The library administrator heard the sound and asked the reason. He smiled and persuaded the two readers who were blushing and neck to sit down and then walked over the journal corridor. Open a window in the corridor. A seemingly incomprehensible contradiction can be solved.

 

If we all use the smart learning and application of the game to achieve more positive and game in our lives, there will be more harmony and less unnecessary battles in this world.