Eli5 Can someone explain zero sum games and how they apply to our daily lives clearly?
In: Economics
An example would be we play a game, the prize is $100. There are only 2 players, all $100 will be awarded but the split depends on how well each player does relative to the other. So any additional dollar you get is a dollar I don’t get. If we start at 50/50 for instance, and you gain a dollar, that means I lose a dollar. The split is now 51/49.
Basically any gain you make, is an equal loss for me. And Vice versa.
It’s very rare that this happens in life, but it can occasionally. More often, we tend to think of things as zero sum when they are not.
An example is a promotion at work. Often viewed as zero sum. Either you get the promotion or I do. Now, there are other factors of course, so it is not a true zero sum, but most people may view it that way.
Generally, viewing things as zero sum in life is not accurate nor productive.
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