People want to do less than more…

Tragedy of the commons not just a socioeconomic phenomenon; rather a social one as well.

The tragedy of the commons is a concept borne by Garrett Hardin in 1968 to explain how when given a choice people will often take more, assuming they are the only one benefiting, until such time as all the resources are used up. Many examples and studies have been conducted to support the notion of the tragedy of the common’s; and once revealed to the people often leaves them feeling really upset. For those reading this who do not know what the tragedy of the commons is, the following example was written by Dylan Selterman in a June 2018 National Geographic whose main content that edition was about global pollution. Selterman’s example was when he would teach his undergraduate psychology course, he’d announce there was a choice by students to request 2 or 6 points as extra credit with the following caveat, as long as 10% of the class didn’t choose 6 points everyone would get the extra credit. Much to many of the student’s dismay, more often than not no one would get the extra credit as more than 10% of the class chose 6 extra points. What this study shows, is that on an individual level people often consume more than they need of the “common” eventually using up all the resources. (Hardin used farming as an example- and a quick google search of Tragedy of the Commons will relay many more examples).

In my opinion, this important phenomenon is a lesson, more than anything. The ‘tragedy of the commons’ highlights behavior, that if questioned on an individual level would seem rational; and may even be considered the ‘right’ thing to do. But on a communal level, when the resources being tapped are limited, the results more often than not are the exploitation, and removal of all the available resources (see cod fishing or Dodo Bird examples).

My question is, does the tragedy of the commons apply on a broader social level than just on its economic influence? The answer, I believe is yes, in that there is a dissonance between people’s individual expectations of how society ought to be versus actually changing their own personal behavior, and while it doesn’t use up some “proverbial resources” it strains the direction that society is moving.