The only winning move

Darren
Darren
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read

Ever heard of a game called “share or steal”?

It’s based on the prisoner’s dilemma and has been around for a while. They had it on the radio the other day. Two people in studio and a total prize amount for them to split. They have to choose one of the options without the other knowing which one they chose.

If they both choose to share, they split it equally.
If they both choose steal then neither one gets anything.
But if one chooses to share and the other to steal then the one who chose to share is fucked, and the other one gets it all.

Basic probability says your chance of winning is better if you steal. You’d think that means everyone should always act in their own best interests.

So you’ve gotta ask yourself — how much do you know about and trust the other person.

It’s only worthwhile playing if you know you can trust them to choose to share.

If not, it’s a fair bet you’re walking away with nothing.

In which case, you’ve gotta ask yourself, why bother in the first place?

The AI in the old movie Wargames said this after realising no-one wins a global nuclear war:

If you’re playing games in life with people who you can’t trust or who don’t care about your best interests, get the hell out of there.

In those cases, the only winning move is not to play.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade