[taneq]

It's more like humanity is playing a growth-sum game. If growth is positive then people can improve their lot without reducing someone else's, which creates all sorts of scenarios where it's rational to cooperate, making things better for everyone. If growth is at or below zero, then people have no incentive to work together except to defeat other people.

[JoeSamoa]

I like the theory, but I'm curious how climate change as a prisoners dilemma would play into your hypothesis. Optimizing finance rather than the environmental externality... Maybe we just don't see how it's in our best interest to cooperate?

[challenger22]

Let's say you had a version of the prisoner's dilemma where 7 billion people had to cooperate for the highest payoff to occur. Would you cooperate?

[dotancohen]

This is probably the most insight comment that I've seen on HN all year. Thank you.

[taneq]

Hmm... "Disregard externalities" as a form of defecting?

[JoeSamoa]

No I mean we need to focus on negative externalities like environmental impacts.