Prisoners Dilemma

Does this mean you are going to prison?

 

Defined here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma

This is somewhat the current situation we are all in regarding the lack of consumer confidence driving the economy to a standstill.
The more we "defect" and stop spending, the more we hurt ourselves collectively.
Yet, the level of "hurt" we experience is offset by the small amount of cash we hang on to.

 

No matter what the consequences are, if you want to win, you'll have to bend the other person/ people to your will and make it absolute. Say you pulled a bank job with another person and were both brought in for questioning. You should have laid down the law when it comes to squealing, make sure they know that everything will be fine if no one says a word, the police can only hold us for so long if we don't say anything bla bla bla. Whatever it takes, let him know that by keeping his mouth shut, he keeps the loot, hie freedom and his life. If he says one word he loses everything and you'll expect the same from him if you talk.

Make sure after you bend him as much as you can, you think things over for yourself, every possibility imaginable. What if you sing like a bird, clam up and stay silent, turn on your partner putting all on him etc. Then after that take the best course of action for you.

Hanging someone out to dry is a lot more fun than being the one drying in the sun.

 

Read "The Art of Strategy" by Dixit and Nalebuff. I'm in the middle of it. Very nice layman's intro to game theory.

The Prisoners' Dilemma (most people would put the apostrophe before the 's' but this is semantically incorrect) is the simplest game illustrating that the Nash equilibrium does not necessarily lead to the best outcome for all parties.

All you have to do is to approach each of the 'witness' kids separately, promising confidentiality. Give them a deadline before reporting to police. Sweeten the deal by promising some sort of reward for cooperating before the others do. Emphasise that failure to cooperate when one or more of the others do will mean nasty consequences, legal or otherwise (tell on them to their family, etc.) Also hint that one of the others is close to breaking, and it would be advantageous for him to spill the beans first, for obvious reasons.

To turn the screws even more, you can hint to one of the 'witness' kids that one of the others is implicating him in the actual crime. You can then play 'good cop' by reassuring him that you're fairly certain he didn't do it, but that's not how the police are going to view it. In other words, his silence is going to actively cost him because he becomes 'it' by default. Most people can't take this sort of pressure, coupled with the moral outrage that the actual criminal is trying to make them a patsy.

For the guy you strongly suspect, you can make the much more direct offer akin to plea bargaining - if he admits to the minor theft, you will not press charges, provided he does some sort of informal community service, e.g. your chores for a month D). But if he hangs tough and one of the other sells him out (hint that this is really about to happen), you will throw the book at him and he will have a lifelong juvenile record.

Etc...you can figure out the details.

 

Or super smart if one of the others is framing him. Is there an inquisitor's dilemma as well?

 

That happened to three of us in High School - during P.E., our lockers got busted into by three dimwits - 250 bucks, total, most of which was mine. Let's just say that later, much later, when we were but long-*forgotten*, it cost each of the dimwits a hell of a lot more in prized possessions.

 

Revenge is not a virtue, please tell us you're only joking!

Sparky

 

Revenge is a virtue.

I'm not joking.

 

Sure it is, but on the negative side.

 

sometimes it's warranted though.

 

My father is a game theorist. I'll tell ya, when I was a kid he would try to explain it to me and I would just get more lost...