Why it’s worth talking to each other
The twentieth century was the century of mass murder. Two world wars
took place within a period of thirty years. In-between, there was some
lousy diplomacy. The logic of this period was: ‘The clever side never gives
in and comes out on top.’ To win you have to take action, not negotiate.
Europe was in ruins by the time the game was over.
During this period, John von Neumann, a mathematician, and Oskar
Morgenstern, an economist, developed their famous Game Theory. This
theory examines conflicts in which the result for all participants depends
on decisions made by others – as in negotiations. Game Theory is based on
the observation that people in conflicts behave in the same way as they
would when playing a board game: they want to win, but do so by sticking
to the rules of the game, otherwise it won’t work. How do you win but still
follow the rules? The solution: by approaching and talking to each other.
Or, in the words of game theorists, by cooperating.
Let’s take a simple example. At some point, most adults decide not to
give each other Christmas presents any more. The pressure to consume is
annoying, and, in any case, what do you give a person who has everything?
But typically some people still do buy a present, even if they agreed not to.
The person who gets the gift but didn’t give one in return now has a bad
conscience; the person who gave but didn’t receive is disappointed. The
result: conflict.
There are only two logical solutions and both have to do with
communication: you have to decide whether (a) everyone or (b) nobody
gets a gift. But this super-simple Game Theory solution can only be
achieved if both sides go along with the plan and if they make a binding
agreement to stick to it: two complex actions that people find hard to carry
out.
‘Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war.’
Winston Churchill