Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Reciprocity, Boyo, Is the Key to All Relationships II

Overhead at Leach Rec Center:

"So we used to take turns doing the dishes. But now, every knife, fork, spoon, cup, plate, pot and pan in the apartment is filthy, and I washed them all last and I'm not going to do it now."

Indeed, there are public good problems, even at the small group level. (And yes, they could "solve" the problem by having entirely separate sets of silverware, dishes, cups, pots, and pans; but I remember how much storage space there is in an undergraduate apartment with 4 guys. That production technology just won't work.)

No comments: