Zero Sum Thinking

Ever heard about a Zero Sum? We all grew up by what's called

Zero Sum Thinking

Zero Sum Thinking (ZST) is the view that one party's gain is another party's loss

Simple illustrations of ZST are:

• If I get the biggest piece of the cake, you won't
• If I get this job, you won't
• Producing more cars leads to more air pollution
• Because the rich get richer, the poor get poorer
• Playing check or tic tac toe
• If I get happy, you'll feel bad

By playing all kind of "zero sum games" as a child, ZST has become a part of our life. Often an unconscious part.

Zero Sum Games are a part of the game-theory or economic game theory. They fundamentally influenced our way of thinking when we were young.

For some people, like Colin Powell, Zero Sum Thinking even became an obsession.



Often later on in life, we discover that there is much more than ZST

Non Zero Sum Thinking
.

If you are a stubborn pessimist, Non Zero Sum Thinking will lead to Negative Sum Thinking. You think that everything you do in life is worthless. You think you only create damage to others and the world. Life eventually will become a hell for you. A hell created by yourself, a self fulfilling prophecy.

However, let's practise

Positive Sum Thinking

Yeah, Positive Sum Thinking (PST) means that you search for ways where not only you, but all parties benefit from a certain action. PST creates value.
This "creating more value" can be done in many ways, like cooperation, innovation, creation, sharing, caring or investing.

In fact PST could be defined as a fundamental kind of attitude in life.
You either believe that everything in this universe adds up to nothing or know that if all advantages (created value) are crossed off against the disadvantages (damage), something positive is left.
That something positive is "what you are doing it for" in life. In fact that "something positive" is life, is love, is you and me in the heart. It makes the difference.

Remember when you face a new challenge...., Start PST............

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