If you were to, perchance, take a stroll down any corridor of the Economics University, during the period just before the fall of Communism, you would likely have encountered the strangest site: a grey haired, be-speckled professor carrying toilet paper. A cursory examination of any of the public bathrooms would have solved the mystery behind this seemingly eccentric behavior.
Later, a professor at the University explained that the reason behind this was that, during the communist era, there were shortages of staples such as toilet paper and if anyone were fortunate enough to happen upon it, they would remove it and keep it for themselves. This behavior became so ingrained that even when the shortage abated, people would still steal the toilet paper (just in case!). No matter how many times the paper was replaced, within a matter of hours, the dispensers in the stalls would be empty again. The result was that eventually the University stopped replenishing the stalls and everyone had to look to their own resources to accommodate their own needs.
Among the myths that form the boundaries of the engineered reality within which we live, one stands out in particular. This is the illusion of scarcity. This scarcity need not have any foundation. In fact, the very belief in its existence is enough to create scarcity in a situation, where it otherwise would not exist. Therefore, all those in control, need to get us to believe there is not enough to go around, to set the Game in motion. Once initiated, the desire to hoard goods to protect oneself against the threat of scarcity is enough to perpetuate it indefinitely.
This myth of scarcity brings about the idea of a zero-sum game. This means that just as every reaction provokes an equal an opposite reaction, so for every winner there must be a loser, and for every plus a minus. Thus we exist in a state of constant conflict, forever pitted against each other. In an attempt to promote our own needs we are encouraged to purchase whatever we can so as to ensure we have more than our competitors. This leads to a society in the grip of paranoia with everyone looking over his or her shoulder, and in this way the controlling influence of The Game is only increased.
In this game, retaining any objective sense of what's really going on becomes increasingly difficult, and following a morally right course of action is likewise challenging. For all that everyone may talk about having the best intentions it is actions, not words, which define their true character. When The Game begins it is hard to escape from it. And staying outside The Game entirely is harder still, since we all have our own goods to market. We are thus forced to wonder what is to be done about the game: our societies may have begun it, but how can it be ended?
Later, a professor at the University explained that the reason behind this was that, during the communist era, there were shortages of staples such as toilet paper and if anyone were fortunate enough to happen upon it, they would remove it and keep it for themselves. This behavior became so ingrained that even when the shortage abated, people would still steal the toilet paper (just in case!). No matter how many times the paper was replaced, within a matter of hours, the dispensers in the stalls would be empty again. The result was that eventually the University stopped replenishing the stalls and everyone had to look to their own resources to accommodate their own needs.
Among the myths that form the boundaries of the engineered reality within which we live, one stands out in particular. This is the illusion of scarcity. This scarcity need not have any foundation. In fact, the very belief in its existence is enough to create scarcity in a situation, where it otherwise would not exist. Therefore, all those in control, need to get us to believe there is not enough to go around, to set the Game in motion. Once initiated, the desire to hoard goods to protect oneself against the threat of scarcity is enough to perpetuate it indefinitely.
This myth of scarcity brings about the idea of a zero-sum game. This means that just as every reaction provokes an equal an opposite reaction, so for every winner there must be a loser, and for every plus a minus. Thus we exist in a state of constant conflict, forever pitted against each other. In an attempt to promote our own needs we are encouraged to purchase whatever we can so as to ensure we have more than our competitors. This leads to a society in the grip of paranoia with everyone looking over his or her shoulder, and in this way the controlling influence of The Game is only increased.
In this game, retaining any objective sense of what's really going on becomes increasingly difficult, and following a morally right course of action is likewise challenging. For all that everyone may talk about having the best intentions it is actions, not words, which define their true character. When The Game begins it is hard to escape from it. And staying outside The Game entirely is harder still, since we all have our own goods to market. We are thus forced to wonder what is to be done about the game: our societies may have begun it, but how can it be ended?
About the Author:
John Berling Hardy is dedicated to revealing those critical truths which they will not tell you at business school. For more of his writings please visit www.playingtheplayers.com
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