Transitioning from Rivalrous to Anti-Rivalrous Systems for a Sustainable Future

The insights and ideas presented in this essay are inspired by the work of James P. Carse and Daniel Schmachtenberger.

Today’s most challenging global issues have a common root cause – the prevalence of rivalrous (zero-sum) systems over anti-rivalrous (positive-sum) systems. Rivalrous systems fuel scarcity and competition, while anti-rivalrous systems promote abundance and cooperation. It’s essential to acknowledge the unsustainability of rivalrous systems if we hope to tackle humanity’s most pressing concerns and move towards a more sustainable and cooperative future.

The Dilemma of Rivalrous and Anti-Rivalrous Goods

Rivalrous goods, such as gold, are valuable due to scarcity, while anti-rivalrous goods gain value through abundance, like clean air. This creates a paradox in our economic system where abundant resources are considered worthless, even though they are essential for life. On the other hand, scarce resources are highly valued, despite having little intrinsic value to our survival.

This paradox incentivises individuals and organisations to artificially create scarcity and avoid abundance, resulting in what is known as “multipolar traps.” These multipolar traps occur when actions that benefit…