The Tragedy of the Commons.

A systems story.

The tragedy of the commons typically starts with a common good or shared resource that is free for all, as an example here we have 4 farmers each with one (1) cow, the shared resource is the pasture and each cow grazes just a little out of this resource, this system can usually be considered stable or balanced.

We happy here !

"The commons" originates from the colloqial term of unregulated grazing land back in 1800’s in the British Isles.

Trouble starts when one farmer figures out that there is enough grazing land for at least one more cow, ( conveniently his extra cow ), this makes economic sense since he can take advantage of the free food for his cow and earn more money.

The result is insignificant at first, the system can easily handle the extra cow.

Problems start brewing when the other farmers either notice the extra cow and do the same or figure out on their own that one more extra cow ( conveniently their extra cow) will not deplete the system.

The shared resource eventually reaches its limit, the tragedy happens when all these extra cows deplete the supply of grazing land ( the commons) and in some cases the system collapses practically overnight. Those not wise to the tragedy of the commons and even those actively involved in depleting the resource are left asking the usual questions:

What Happened, how could this happen, why did this happen, who is responsible for this.