RE: Steemonomics: Competition, Cooperation, and Complementarity
Indeed, cooperation is much more efficient than a polarized model of competition that results in a lack of concern and consideration for others, focusing solely on ourselves and what we can get out of it, what we can do to maximize out win while the other loses. Win-win synergetic models are more effective, and competition does not have to be removed, it is merely not used as a more extreme way of living.
In permaculture, there are polyculture models, such as "guilding", where plants are matched up according to the benefits they reciprocate to each other, while overly competing or detrimental processes like toxins, or other aspects, are recognized as harmful and not included with plants that are most affected by these negative outcomes.
Competition and cooperation go together. You need competition as well to causally balance out that which is ineffective or wasteful. The Free-Market is such a system when it is allowed to operate without intervention (government, statism, etc.) to restrict the causal corrective measures.
Good post.
Thanks. I think that as long as the competition is free and non-violent, it's perfectly natural and overall more productive for individuals to pursue their own self-interest. Those who succeed by cooperating will succeed much better than those who try go get ahead by harming others.