Reader question:
In this sentence – Globalization is not a zero sum game but a great opportunity for all – what does "zero sum game" mean?
My comments:
Sum means total, as in sum total. Zero-sum means it all adds up to naught.
A zero-sum game is one in which gains and losses cancel each other out, i.e. someone winning something comes at the expense of somebody else's losing. To make your winning possible, somebody has to lose that something you're winning.
Let's say you're playing Chinese chess and you gain ground by eating, as it were, one of your opponent's pawns. You gain (an advantage of) a pawn, he loses one. He eats one of your horses – he gains a horse (in advantage), you lose a horse. You win a game, he loses a game. You can't win a game without him losing one. You are good. Better than your opponent is, that is, and you win ten games in a row. He loses ten in a row (to make your winning possible).
You say, hey, that's great, I like this game. I win all the time. I like winning all the time.
Well, if that's what you like, you're on your way to suffer because one, you're not going to win all games in life all the time; two, if you win all the time it's no competition – where's fun of competition when there's no competition?
So, what you do is you shift attention from winning (or losing) to simply playing the game – and not get attached to outcome. Only then are you able to enjoy the fact that you're getting better from the practice – becoming a better player with each game played, win or lose – and keep getting closer to reaching your full potential (which in turn keeps growing of course just to stay out of your reach).
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