Evil Genes by Barbara Oakley

Author:Barbara Oakley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781615920020
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Published: 2016-12-06T16:00:00+00:00

THROWING AWAY THE STEERING WHEEL

There is another game that can enlighten our understanding of altruism and antisocial behavior—the game of “Chicken.”

In this parental nightmare of a pastime, two drivers square off and make a run toward each other in souped-up cars. The first driver to swerve loses the game and also loses the respect of his adolescent peers. But if neither driver swerves, both drivers lose the game in catastrophic fashion.

What's the best way to win such a game?

In a book called The Strategy of Conflict, economist and game theorist Thomas Schelling suggested the ultimate winning strategy: in full view of the other driver, toss your steering wheel out the window. Once the other driver knows that you will never, ever swerve, he has every reason, at least if he's rational, to swerve himself.13 By eliminating all your other options, you've just won the game.

How does this apply to real life? In straightforward fashion, it shows how successful seemingly irrational emotional strategies can be. For example, if you are known for losing it when hearing something you don't want to hear, or being ruthlessly vindictive when crossed, or going on the attack at even the slightest of imagined provocations, you've essentially torn off your steering wheel in front of those around you. Your own seemingly irrational behavior can work as a completely rational strategy for getting your own way. The only rule for such a strategy to be effective is that you must be known to have torn off your steering wheel. To truly coerce others into steering clear, your ruthlessness and combative nature should be complete and obvious—you must be regarded as being willing to pursue utterly vindictive strategies regardless of the consequences. The reputation you garner by possessing such traits can often provide enough advantages to make up for the occasional disadvantage.

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