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hlehman's picture

My Dilemma with the Prisoner's Dilemma

 The first time I tried Prisoner's Dilemma I clicked compete every time.  I thought that the goal was to get the higher score so I was happy when I kept winning.  After that I tried different techniques each time, switching between compete and cooperate and I still kept winning so I got bored and quit.  

I think that the Prisoner's Dilemma is an interesting concept to apply to my own life.  I think that some of the hardest decisions we face involve the Prisoner's Dilemma.  I like to find a balance between cooperating and competing and often times such compromise does not exist and I'm torn.  When playing the game, I tried everything and since it always worked out I got bored- something I think can be a metaphor for bigger things in life.  When everything works out, people fall in the same habits, get bored, and either give up or just keep doing the same thing but no longer get enjoyment out of it.  That's why it is important to find a balance and understand that one cannot always win and it's not necessarily a bad thing.  

 I think that in order to create a "win-win situation" in our class, it is possible but will be difficult to achieve because you have to find that balance between competitors and cooperators that makes everyone happy and still completes the other goals of the class.

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