the problem with zero-sum thinking

From indigenous cultures — who’ve tended to operate on a paradigm of cooperative collectivism that’s deeply entwined with their relationship to nature — to the African Ubuntu philosophy that emphasizes communal values, empathy, shared humanity, and the foundational belief that individuals exist in a web of relationships, there are countless... See more

The Old Game is zero-sum by design. Your gain requires someone else's loss. The ladder has limited rungs. The positions are scarce. The rewards diminish. The house always wins.

The New Game is positive-sum by construction. Your success makes the system stronger. Intelligence compounds. Reputation builds. Networks strengthen. Everyone who plays

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So, if cooperation and collaboration has been key to our survival and some of our most impactful innovation, why is it so hard?

One of the biggest culprits is the pervasive influence of zero-sum thinking. While commonly associated with Western capitalism and competitive markets, it’s not an exclusively Western artifact. Civilizations across the... See more