Scientific Definition
Individually rational choices that produce a collectively bad outcome.
Plain-English Definition
Individually rational choices that produce a collectively bad outcome.
Feynman Explanation
Everyone agrees something must be done; nobody volunteers to do it.
Core Principle
Individually rational choices that produce a collectively bad outcome.
Mechanisms
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
Everyone agrees something must be done; nobody volunteers to do it.
Examples
- Climate, antibiotics, shared infrastructure.
- Industry standards that benefit everyone but cost the mover.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
- Coordinate via a neutral convener; reward first movers explicitly.
Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Coordinate via a neutral convener; reward first movers explicitly.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
People consume shared resources without contributing.
Outcomes depend on aligning choices, not on who 'wins.'
Coordination problem where cooperation pays more but defection is safer.
Clear ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
Asymmetric information attracts the worst counterparties.
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Vastness that exceeds existing schemas dissolves the self briefly.
Negative feedback returns a system toward a target.
Membership in a group is a baseline human need.
We seek tasks where we feel effective and improving.
Competing loyalties that compromise judgment.
Value is judged against whatever sits next to it.