In game theory, a zero sum game is one in which the more one person gains the more the rest lose. For example, if there is a dollar to be split, there is only a dollar however it gets divided. It is a highly competitive game.
But what if there was a way to expand the pie? What if instead of competing for the same dollar, you found a way to come together to become more than the sum of your individual parts? Now you've added an element of collaboration and created a non-zero sum game.
In a non-zero sum game, one person's gain is not always at the expense of another. In a completely non-zero sum game there is complete overlap. In 1970, when the three Apollo 13 astronauts were trying to figure out how to get their stranded spaceship back to earth, they were playing an utterly non-zero-sum game, because the outcome would be either equally good for all of them or equally bad. (It was equally good.)
Where else can you find overlap? What about seemingly competing businesses that locate near each other and draw more customers than they would on their own and thus more revenue for themselves and their competitors? What about a happy marriage where the man and wife are greater than the sum of their individual parts?
Can you think of other examples - (preferrably where the outcome is win-win more often than lose-lose)?
FTF goes to James4cachers - remember meeting you briefly at Donut morning commute not too long ago. Sorry I missed seeing you today.