The Incentive We Pretend Doesn’t Matter
Someone once told a story from a university campus. He stood before a group of students and asked a simple question: “Between socialism and capitalism, which do you prefer?” Many confidently answered: Socialism. They listed all the benefits students in socialist leaning places got. Some how they didn't say anything about costs. He followed up with another question. “You all have GPAs. Some of you worked extremely hard to earn high grades. Would you be willing to take part of your GPA and give it to students at the bottom of the ladder?” Suddenly, the mood changed. “Well… I studied hard for my GPA.” “Why should I give it away?” “They can study too and earn high grades.” Then someone asked an honest question: “Does that mean I think I’m better than them?” No. “I don’t have two heads. If I can study, they can too.” There it was. The tension between idealism and incentive. The Ingredient We Keep Ignoring Socialism, in theory, promises fairness. Equality. Shared outcomes, but human beh...