Question

Micah refuses to take part in an argument between two of his friends. He believes that this will help him avoid the consequences of their dispute. What concept from this lesson does Micah NOT understand?

Answer 1

Micah doesn't realize that by evading his friends' argument, he might be contributing to a negative outcome, similar to the "free rider problem," where individuals expect to benefit from a public good without paying for it, which leads to the good not being provided at all.

Step-by-step explanation:

Micah does not seem to understand the concept of the free rider problem as illustrated by the reasoning of Rachel and Samuel in their scenario. This problem occurs when individuals assume they can benefit from a 'public good' without contributing to it, hoping that others will do the work. However, when everyone adopts this mindset, the public good—something everyone can enjoy without directly paying for, like a clean park or public fireworks—never gets built, as everyone is hoping to benefit from others' contributions.

In the case of Micah avoiding his friends' argument, it might seem like a smart short-term strategy to avoid conflict, but Micah may not realize that sometimes by not participating in resolution efforts, he might contribute to a situation where the dispute escalates, which can have consequences for the group as a whole. This reflects the broader principle that inaction can be a form of action that leads to negative outcomes, similar to the free rider problem where non-contribution leads to no one benefits.