0 saved
6.6K views
One of the most popular models in game theory, the prisoner’s dilemma represents a compelling story with a range of takeaways.
< ...Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Quippe: habes enim a rhetoribus; Ita similis erit ei finis boni, atque antea fuerat, neque idem tamen; Quod autem principium officii quaerunt, melius quam Pyrrho; Negabat igitur ullam esse artem, quae ipsa a se proficisceretur; Collige omnia, quae soletis: Praesidium amicorum. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Ad corpus diceres pertinere-, sed ea, quae dixi, ad corpusne refers? Tubulo putas dicere? Qui autem diffidet perpetuitati bonorum suorum, timeat necesse est, ne aliquando amissis illis sit miser. Illum mallem levares, quo optimum atque humanissimum virum, Cn. Sed in rebus apertissimis nimium longi sumus. Sin laboramus, quis est, qui alienae modum statuat industriae?
Vide igitur ne non debeas verbis nostris uti, sententiis tuis. Putabam equidem satis, inquit, me dixisse. Tria genera cupiditatum, naturales et necessariae, naturales et non necessariae, nec naturales nec necessariae. Nam adhuc, meo fortasse vitio, quid ego quaeram non perspicis. Quis hoc dicit? Quorum sine causa fieri nihil putandum est. Nam et a te perfici istam disputationem volo, nec tua mihi oratio longa videri potest. Ut proverbia non nulla veriora sint quam vestra dogmata.
Bork Cur fortior sit, si illud, quod tute concedis, asperum et vix ferendum putabit? Idcirco enim non desideraret, quia, quod dolore caret, id in voluptate est. Qui autem de summo bono dissentit de tota philosophiae ratione dissentit. Si quidem, inquit, tollerem, sed relinquo. Placet igitur tibi, Cato, cum res sumpseris non concessas, ex illis efficere, quod velis? Ut necesse sit omnium rerum, quae natura vigeant, similem esse finem, non eundem. Ita enim vivunt quidam, ut eorum vita refellatur oratio. Bork Alterum significari idem, ut si diceretur, officia media omnia aut pleraque servantem vivere.
- Identify win-wins.
Take time to consider the possible win-wins, even with potential competitors. What ar ...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sin laboramus, quis est, qui alienae modum statuat industriae? Quis enim potest istis, quae te, ut ais, delectant, brevibus et acutis auditis de sententia decedere? Quae ista amicitia est? Paulum, cum regem Persem captum adduceret, eodem flumine invectio? Sunt enim prima elementa naturae, quibus auctis vírtutis quasi germen efficitur. At hoc in eo M. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Negat esse eam, inquit, propter se expetendam. Summum ením bonum exposuit vacuitatem doloris; Ut optime, secundum naturam affectum esse possit.
Quod quidem nobis non saepe contingit. Tu autem negas fortem esse quemquam posse, qui dolorem malum putet. Eorum enim omnium multa praetermittentium, dum eligant aliquid, quod sequantur, quasi curta sententia; Odium autem et invidiam facile vitabis. Nec vero sum nescius esse utilitatem in historia, non modo voluptatem. Quo studio Aristophanem putamus aetatem in litteris duxisse? Diodorus, eius auditor, adiungit ad honestatem vacuitatem doloris. Tibi hoc incredibile, quod beatissimum. Negabat igitur ullam esse artem, quae ipsa a se proficisceretur; Aliter enim explicari, quod quaeritur, non potest.
Cur fortior sit, si illud, quod tute concedis, asperum et vix ferendum putabit? Rhetorice igitur, inquam, nos mavis quam dialectice disputare? Summum a vobis bonum voluptas dicitur. At quicum ioca seria, ut dicitur, quicum arcana, quicum occulta omnia? Ait enim se, si uratur, Quam hoc suave! dicturum. Istam voluptatem, inquit, Epicurus ignorat? Animum autem reliquis rebus ita perfecit, ut corpus; Non potes, nisi retexueris illa. Etenim si delectamur, cum scribimus, quis est tam invidus, qui ab eo nos abducat?
In real life, we mostly deal with repeated Prisoner's Dilemmas, where we can choose strategies to reward cooperation or punish betrayal over time. The incentives that individual decision-makers face are also altered by collective action such as rules, laws, and social punishment.
We generally also have the opportunity to communicate within our versions of the prisoner’s dilemma, so we can negotiate and seek a level of confidence not possible in the story.
Listen to this amazing podcast episode of golden balls.
Radiolab presents a truly gripping investigation into a game show based on the prisoner's dilemma. It really is fantastic storytelling and is highly recommended as a fascinating insight into this model.
Global warming.
If countries acted cooperatively, they would cut carbon emissions to help reduce global warming, possibly taking a hit to their economy as a result (let’s put renewable and green driven economies to one side for this example). However, if a country believes that another country will not take the action required then they might fear for the resulting economic advantage they will gain. The mistrust underlying a cooperative strategy, even when it's in everyone's interests, might lead to an individual strategy rather than a cooperative one.
Cigarette advertising.
A common example cited in relation to the prisoner’s dilemma is the cigarette industry. When cigarette advertising was legalised in the US competing firms theoretically could benefit from not advertising and sharing the market. If one advertised, they would gain a dominant share, however, if both advertised they would split the market and have less profit because of advertising costs. It is of course more complex than that, particularly in terms of growing a market with advertising, but that challenge plays itself out in a range of contexts.
The Prioner's Dillema is part of game theory, and provides an understanding of how we can work together, or not.
Use the following examples of connected and complementary models to weave the prisoner’s dilemma into your broader latticework of mental models. Alternatively, discover your own connections by exploring the category list above.
Connected models:
- Game theory: the prisoner’s dilemma is a model from game theory.
- Mutually assured destruction: in terms of finding a shared, often counterintuitive, interest.
Complementary models:
- Red Queen effect: in considering a potentially escalating competitive environment.
- Divide and conquer: splitting the battle rather than fighting head on.
- Cialdini’s six principles of influence: to create greater connection and trust.
- BATNA: in the context of negotiated solutions.
- SCARF model: to understand when mistrust and threat dominate.
The Prisoner's Dilemma was originally posed by mathematicians Merrill Flood and Melvin Dresher while working for Rand corporation in the 1950s. It was actually named sometime later by Princeton mathematician Albert Tucker.
The model gained a boost of profile when it was featured in Robert Axelrod’s book, The Evolution of Cooperation in 1994. Now in its fifth edition, the book is the foundation for the ‘tit for tat’ strategy outlined in this model’s summary during iterative prisoner’s dilemma scenarios. Though he did note it was dependent on a number of factors. You can read more about his research in this New York Times article.
Finally, if you want to experience the concepts in the Prisoner's Dilemma, it's worth investing about 30m into this free interactive and educational game.
My Notes
Oops, That’s Members’ Only!
Fortunately, it only costs US$5/month to Join ModelThinkers and access everything so that you can rapidly discover, learn, and apply the world’s most powerful ideas.
ModelThinkers membership at a glance:
“Yeah, we hate pop ups too. But we wanted to let you know that, with ModelThinkers, we’re making it easier for you to adapt, innovate and create value. We hope you’ll join us and the growing community of ModelThinkers today.”
You Might Also Like:
- Actionable summaries of the world's most powerful ideas.
Subscribe now and download this practical guide to transform your thinking, plus recieve one short, powerful and actionable idea in your inbox each month.