GAME OVER? A game theory perspective on human aggression

	To young children
	battles seem like innocent games -
	Soldiers can be lined up easily
	then easily knocked away.

	In real life
	battles are not so rosy or gay - 
	war is a gruesome business 
	whose costs are more staggering
	than any person should wish to pay. 

	In the game board of life
	each move we make  
	(whether hostile or benign)  
	influences the entire game board
	and every player's mind
	
	Short-term, narrow expediency 
	(no matter how foolish it'll eventually seem)
	all too often trumps 
	long-term wellness & prosperity.


Ying:     Do you think game theory can accurately describe human behavior?

Frida:    If the variables and parameters are set right, possibly.

Ying:     Most of us get stuck into lousy game scenarios. Why can't we envision better 
          scenarios for the planet?

Dmiritri: I dunno. I suspect that many game plans are running simultaneously in our 
          brains. At any given moment, it is hard to say which is dominant.

Satoru:   I'm particularly disturbed by those embracing "Armageddon" and "Winner Takes 
          All" game plans. Such world views are destructive.


=====================================================================================
from Peace Pieces: Reflections on Violence and Conflict Resolution by T Newfields
SUMMARY: Some thoughts about aggression, human utility, and evolutionary game theory
KEYWORDS: strategic aggression, social ecology, game parameters, learned violence, children's play

Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955)
Begun: 1997 in Shizuoka, Japan ⩝ Finished: 2018 in Yokohama, Japan
Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted

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