In game theory, the Unscrupulous diner's dilemma (or just Diner's dilemma) is an n-player prisoner's dilemma. The situation imagined is that several individuals go out to eat, and prior to ordering they agree to split the check equally between all of them. Each individual must now choose whether to order the expensive or inexpensive dish. It is presupposed that the expensive dish is better than the cheaper, but not by enough to warrant paying the difference compared to eating alone. Each individual reasons that the expense they add to their bill by ordering the more expensive item is very small, and thus the improved dining experience is worth the money. However, every individual reasons this way and they all end up paying for the cost of the more expensive meal, which, by assumption, is worse for everyone than ordering and paying for the cheaper meal.
Read more about Unscrupulous Diner's Dilemma: Formal Definition and Equilibrium Analysis, Experimental Evidence
Famous quotes containing the words unscrupulous and/or dilemma:
“Impenetrable in their dissimulation, cruel in their vengeance, tenacious in their purposes, unscrupulous as to their methods, animated by profound and hidden hatred for the tyranny of man—it is as though there exists among them an ever-present conspiracy toward domination, a sort of alliance like that subsisting among the priests of every country.”
—Denis Diderot (1713–1784)
“A sympathetic person is placed in the dilemma of a swimmer among drowning men, who all catch at him, and if he give so much as a leg or a finger, they will drown him. They wish to be saved from the mischief of their vices, but not from their vices.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)