The Scorpion & The Frog
One day, a scorpion asks a frog to carry him across a river. The frog is hesitant, because he knows that scorpions sting and kill frogs. The scorpion assures him that he won’t sting, because then they’d both drown. The frog agrees and halfway across the river, the scorpion stings him. As the frog feels the venom coursing through his body, he asks the scorpion why he did it. The scorpion replies, “It’s just in my nature.”
The moral of the story is that sometimes an Agent, like the Scorpion, can make decisions that go against Rational Self Interest.
Like it or not, It Is Their Nature.
The math is very different from the Prisoners Dilemma, as the most optimal score is awarded for cooperation.
| Frog Helps | Frog Doesn’t Help | |
|---|---|---|
| Scorpion Stings | Frog: -100 Scorpion: -95 | Frog: -100 Scorpion: +5 |
| Scorpion Doesn’t Sting | Frog: 0 Scorpion: +10 | Frog: 0 Scorpion: 0 |
Your nature just got you killed you stupid Scorpion. Why would you do that?
It also makes you wonder about the frog. What did they even gain from helping? Why bother taking the risk?
Maybe it’s just in their nature to want to help.