There are two types of mathematicians (or 10 if you are into binary) – pure mathematicians and applied mathematicians. I am firmly in the latter camp. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy solving a tricky trig problem, just for the sake of it, but it is applying maths to the real world that really floats my boat.
And so it was with great delight that I stumbled across The Game of Trust , an interactive insight into game theory, and how it can be applied to building trust, whether that be in negotiations, the first world war trenches or pretty much any situation where risk and reward depends on your choices.
The site analyses different strategies – cheat, co-operate, copy etc. I won’t tell you what strategy to follow, visit the site now and invest 30 minutes or so playing the game, you will be rewarded (can you trust me when I make that statement? Visit the site and you can decide what category I’m in!)
But, without giving too much away, it does tell us that game theory says:
Without the non-zero sum game, trust cannot evolve
And in these increasingly turbulent times, we need trust more than ever.
So whether your negotiating with a teething toddler, a truculent teenager or a paranoid politician try and find an outcome that benefits you both – it’ll be in your best interests. Trust me, I’m a mathematician.
[Here’s that link again in case you missed it The Game of Trust – visit it now and invest 30 minutes of your time, it’s worth it]