Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ZERO-SUM
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connect this word to others:
We want things to be win-win.
But when they're win-lose, that's a zero-sum game. If there's only one pie, and you get the entire pie, I lose the entire pie. + 1 - 1 = 0.
More on that from Robert Wright: "In zero-sum games, the fortunes of the players are inversely related. In tennis, in chess, in boxing, one contestant's gain is the other's loss."
In other words, zero-sum situations demand competition, producing winners and losers: whatever it is we're v_ing for, whether it's an athletic victory, a job offer, or a presidency, only one of us is getting it. (Can you recall that super-short v-word? It means "to compete, especially for a prize or a title.")
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make your point with...
"ZERO-SUM"
In a zero-sum game or situation, all the gains and losses sum to zero (that is, they add up to zero). The winners win things only because the losers lose things.
In other words, something zero-sum (like a game or a situation) involves people "winning," or getting advantages, only when other people are "losing," or getting disadvantages.
Pronunciation:
ZEE ro SUM
Part of speech:
Adjective: "this zero-sum game," "that zero-sum attitude."
Other forms:
The opposite is "non-zero-sum," which describes games and situations that involve some amount of cooperation instead of pure competition.
How to use it:
Talk about zero-sum games, struggles, conflicts, competitions, scenarios, situations, circumstances, etc.
Or, talk about zero-sum thinking, notions, attitudes, assumptions, terms, etc.
Although "zero-sum" can simply be a factual description, it's often a criticism. That is, we talk about refusing to accept something as a zero-sum game, or rejecting the idea that some situation is a zero-sum game. Or we ask, "When exactly did this become some zero-sum game? We ought to work together."
That's because zero-sum thinking is often simple, black-and-white, them-versus-us, lacking nuance and ignoring the fact that sometimes, our interests overlap, our resources can be shared, and our cooperation is possible, even if we're competitors.
examples:
"Rachman shows how zero-sum logic is thwarting efforts to deal with global problems from Afghanistan to unemployment, climate change to nuclear proliferation."
— Simon and Schuster, introducing Gideon Rachman's book Zero-Sum Future: American Power in an Age of Anxiety, 2011
"In the zero-sum game where every student who is admitted negates one who is not, Reeves said college admissions beg the question of who the elite institutions exist to serve."
— Andrew Keiper, Fox News, 14 March 2019
has this page helped you understand "zero-sum"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "zero-sum" without saying "my loss is your gain" or "there must be winners and losers."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "To see (something) as a zero-sum game is to dismiss the possibility (that there is enough of something to go around, or that something can be shared, or that collaboration or some other social activity or value is possible)."
Example: "To see classrooms, quizzes, report cards, and the race to be valedictorian as a zero-sum game is to dismiss the possibility that learning is valuable for its own sake."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is Distinctive Definitions.
We're taking a scenic slog through poetic and philosophical definitions, wading through similes, metaphors, personifications, hyperboles, grandiloquence, and cheesiness.
In each issue, consider a definition provided by a poet, a writer, or a philosopher, and see if you can name the definiendum: the thing or concept being defined. (Is it life, love, time, death, music, sleep, pain, laughter, bubblegum, stubbing your toe…???) For example, James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) said, "What men call ________ and the Gods call dross." He’s defining something—what is it? "Treasure."
Now, you can play this game in earnest, trying to think of what the poet actually wrote--or you can play it for laughs, supplying the silliest or most sarcastic answer you can muster.
To take the silliness to the next level, gather your friends or family, deal each person a hand of cards from your copy of Apples to Apples (great for kids) or Cards Against Humanity (not for kids!!), and enjoy the ensuing hilarity. (In these games, players take turns being the judge for each round, picking the funniest from everyone’s submissions.) "What men call stretch limos and the Gods call dross." "What men call Morgan Freeman's voice and the Gods call dross."
From the previous issue:
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) said, "Blessing on him who invented _____,—the mantle that covers all human thoughts, the food that appeases hunger, the drink that quenches thirst, the fire that warms cold, the cold that moderates heat, and, lastly, the general coin that purchases all things, the balance and weight that equals the shepherd with the king, and the simple with the wise."
Answer: Sleep.
Try this one today:
Jean Baptiste Poquelin (Molière) (1622-1673) said, "_____, which knows how to control even kings."
(Hint: this guy's writings have been praised as some of the greatest in the French language.)
review this word:
1. A close opposite of ZERO-SUM is
A. ALLIED.
B. INFINITE.
C. MANICHAEAN.
2. It's one case in which the zero-sum bias might be valid, even wise: _____.
A. attention divided is attention weakened
B. evolution is a messy crawl, not a neat line
C. a sick child, asleep, is as comfortable as he can be
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
We want things to be win-win.
"ZERO-SUM" In a zero-sum game or situation, all the gains and losses sum to zero (that is, they add up to zero). The winners win things only because the losers lose things.
"Rachman shows how zero-sum logic is thwarting efforts to deal with global problems from Afghanistan to unemployment, climate change to nuclear proliferation."
Explain the meaning of "zero-sum" without saying "my loss is your gain" or "there must be winners and losers."
Fill in the blanks: "To see (something) as a zero-sum game is to dismiss the possibility (that there is enough of something to go around, or that something can be shared, or that collaboration or some other social activity or value is possible)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A close opposite of ZERO-SUM is
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