What is a zero-sum game?
In: 115
A zero-sum game is an activity where you can only win something by winning it from someone, and you can only lose something by losing it to someone. For example, poker is a zero-sum game, because every dollar you win was won from someone, and you can only lose money if someone wins it from you.
If you and a friend contribute seeds to sowing on a farm and then split the harvest at the end of the season, that’s a positive-sum game because you both ended up better off without taking your gains from someone. If you and a friend take turns hitting each other with sticks, that’s a negative-sum game because you both end up worse-off without having improved anyone’s situation.
Latest Answers