No. 113 · People · Economics
Tragedy of the Commons
A resource everyone can use and no one looks after tends to be used up.
In the Almanac
“The Grand Banks cod”, 1992 · “Iridium and Cosmos”, 2009
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Tragedy of the Commons?
The tragedy of the commons, popularized by Garrett Hardin in 1968, describes how individuals with open access to a shared resource can overuse it until it collapses, even when each choice seems rational. The North Atlantic cod fishery collapsed in 1992 after decades of overfishing, and shared attention at work can be drained by constant notifications.
How do you use Tragedy of the Commons?
Identify the commons around you, from shared spaces to team attention. Align incentives with care through clear rules, rotations, and recognition for those who maintain shared resources. Help others see the combined impact of small individual actions.
When does Tragedy of the Commons matter?
Tragedy of the Commons is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Cooperation and trust”, alongside Cooperation, Free Rider Problem and Game Theory.
What is an example of Tragedy of the Commons?
Two stories show it at work: The Grand Banks cod (1992) and Iridium and Cosmos (2009). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Tragedy of the Commons?
Free Rider Problem, Prisoner’s Dilemma and Cap and Trade. Tragedy of the Commons itself comes from economics.