#INTRO:

A bit of simple classic game theory. The most important objectives of game theory is knowing the game you're in, knowing how to play it in the best way possible, and if it's a bad game, trying to change it. In this post I'll talk about the first 2, and hopefully we'll be able to discuss the last part.

#UNDERSTANDING THE GAME:

In a relationship, you have 2 options. You can either COOPERATE, be a loving caring partner, invest time and energy into your relationship, and trust your SO, or you can DEFECT, put no effort into it, cheat, manipulate, and then demp her for a better aternative. And she also has the exact same options.

If you both COOPERATE, great! you have a great life together and live happily ever after, which seems to be impossible. If one COOPERATES and the other DEFECTS, then that's even better for the defector but much worse for the cooperator, for example if you cooperate and she defects, best case scenario is a bit of pain and humiliation, worst case scenario is you lose your fucking house if she knows what she's doing, we all want to avoid being there. If both DEFECT, well it's good for both but not as good as both cooperating. As you can see in this image

#BEST STRATEGY:

Since you can never be sure what the other person is doing or what they plan on doing, you have to do what's best for you regardless of their choice. What both TRP and game theory say you should do is, ALWAYS DEFECT. Even though the best outcome for both is mutual cooperation, you are always better of defecting, which will lead to the less favourable outcome of mutual defection.

#CHANGING THE GAME:

Now for what I think is the most important part, because this is obviously a bad game. One of the main dogmas of TRP is AWALT, that all women are defecctors, and I buy that. I also think that given enough time, all men are also defectors, we intuitively understand the game theoretical aspect of relationships and play to win so we also defect. What I disagree with TRP on is why AWALT, everything I read here would suggest that they are all defecctors by nature, they're just like that and there's nothing you can do about it. I personally think that they just understand the rules of the game faster than we do.

Theoretically we can change the game by changing the outcomes, if we can place some sort of punishment on anyone who decides to unilaterally defect while the other person is cooperating so they are also much worse off by defecting alone. Practically on the other hand, I would be lying if I said I had any idea on how to actually implement that idea into the real world, that's why I would like to see your ideas and suggestions.

And in the end, keeping with the theme of this subreddit, (this is NOT an example, just an analogy to help explain my point of view). After swallowing the red pill, Neo didn't just spend the rest of his days fucking anything that moved in Zion, he died to make the matrix a better place. My hope is that we can do the same, without dying of course.

*edit: minor formatting changes.