Game Theory Is Really Counterintuitive

Every now and then, I hear someone say that game theory doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. In a sense, they are right—game theory is a methodology, so it’s not really telling us anything that our assumptions are not. However, I challenge someone to tell me that they would have believed most of the things below if we didn’t have formal modeling.

• People often take aggressive postures that lead to mutually bad outcomes even though mutual cooperation is mutually preferable. Source.
• Even if everyone agrees that an outcome is everyone’s favorite, they might not get that outcome. Source.
• Sometimes having fewer options is better than having more options. Source.
• On a penalty kick, soccer players might wish to kick more frequently toward their weaker side as their weaker side becomes increasingly inaccurate. Source.
• In a duel, both gunslingers should shoot at the same time, even if one is a worse shot and would seem to benefit by walking closer to his target. Source.
• There’s a reason why gas stations are on the same corner and politicians adopt very similar platforms. And it’s the same reason. Source.
• Closing roads can improve everyone’s commute time. Source.
• Fewer witnesses to a crime might be preferable to more. Source.
• You should bid how much you value the good at stake in a second price auction. Source.
• If you pay the value you think something is worth, you are going to end up with a negative net profit. Source.
• Lighting money on fire is often profitable. Source.
• Going to college can be valuable even if college doesn’t teach you anything. Source.
• An animal might be better off jumping high in the air repeatedly than running away from a predator. Source.
• Knowing just slightly more about the value of your car than a potential buyer can make it impossible to sell it. Source.
• Nigerian email scammers should say they are from Nigeria even though just about everyone is familiar with the scam. Source.
• Everyone might mimic everyone else just because two people chose to do the same thing. Source.
• A biased media may be better than an unbiased media. Source.
• Every voting system is manipulable. Source.
• You might want to abstain from voting even though you strictly prefer one candidate to another. Source.
• Unanimous jury rulings are more likely to convict the innocent than simple majority rule if jurors vote intelligently. Source.
• The House of Representatives caters to the median member of the majority party, not the median member of the institution overall. Source.
• Plurality, first-past-the-post voting leads to two-party systems. Source.
• United Nations Security Council members sometimes do not veto resolutions even though they strongly dislike them. Source.
• Without the ability to propose offers, you receive very few benefits from bargaining. Source.
• Settlements always exist that are mutually preferable to war. Source.
• Fighting wars removes the need for war. Source.
• You might want to shoot to miss in war. Source.
• Nonproliferation agreements can be credible. Source.
• Weapons inspections are useful even if they never find anything. Source.
• Economic sanctions are useful even though they often fail in application. Source.
• Pitchers shouldn’t change their pitch selection with a runner on third base, even though curveballs are more likely to result in wild pitches. Source.
• Sports teams can benefit from a lack of player safety in contract negotiations. Source.
• You shouldn’t try to maximize your score in Words with Friends/Scrabble. Source.
• In speed sailing, competitors deliberately choose paths they believe will be slower. Source.
• The first player wins in Connect Four. Checkers ends in a draw. Source.
• Chess has a solution, though we don’t know it yet. Source. (Or maybe not.)
• Warren Buffett was never going to pay $1 billion the winner of the March Madness bracket challenge. Source.
• Park Place is worthless in McDonald’s Monopoly. Source.
• Losing pays. Source.
• As drug tests become more accurate, they should be implemented less often. Source.

Am I missing anything?