The Tragedy of the Commons

Details

Photo

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Name

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Year

1968

Field

Ecology / public policy

One-line gist

Shared resources get wrecked when everyone chases their own short-term gain and no one minds the long-term store.

Why this stuck

Reads like an ops manual for every overcrowded sky and overbooked runway I’ve ever worked; simple story, uncomfortable mirror.

Commitment level

Short, sharp, and a little depressing—coffee-length.