Major Minus

Life has always been a mystery ride. You never knew where it can lead you or why it takes you there. But behind those rides, life is simply a game you play. A tough game of chances we play for everyday in our lives. An adventure that made us win or lose.

In Rock, Paper, Scissors, physicist Len Fisher demonstrates the game theory of life. Game theory studies how we maximize gain in competitive situations, assuming that self-interest controls why people make decisions (Dixon, 2008). Also, Fisher showed the limits of game theory, such that what’s best for one particular person may not be best for everyone in the society. Take for example, it may be easier for you to cross the road without taking the pedestrian lane, but if everyone followed that, there may be an increase in road accidents and more people would die.

However, on the brighter side, we humans tend to show cooperative behaviors than some of us might assume. Fisher uses game theory to show how cooperative behaviors have evolved to escape the traps created by selfishness, and how cooperation persists in even the most difficult circumstances (Dixon, 2008).

The book consists of various games that serve as models for real-life solutions. For instance, the game “Tit for Tat,” a payback strategy that comes into play when two people or groups are likely to meet repeatedly, showed that people are more likely to cooperate with you in the future if you have cooperated with them in the past: Suppose a person helped a woman carry the boxes to her car. Assuming the two people meet again, the woman will have the incentive to return back the favor by either helping the person out or by treating him to coffee or food. Fisher also concluded that the two main reason people cooperate is by the statement, “do unto others what you would have them do unto you” or by imposing threats to get the work done.

Nevertheless, Fisher’s game theory solutions are all but entertaining and morally educating and idealistic. But what happens if the woman didn't return the favor? Even so, Rock,Paper, Scissors is a wonderfully entertaining and relevant book concerning game theory and the science of cooperation.