MAY 13 ― Most people like chocolate cake.
Suppose you and I are to share a chocolate cake. You get to cut the cake but you do not get to select the first piece. I do.
How would you cut the cake?
If you are rational and self-interested, it is rational that you should cut the cake down the middle. That way, even if you don’t get the first pick, you ensure that you will get at least half the cake.
Of course, things could be different if you know that you could force me to give you my piece of the cake. Perhaps then you would cut the cake into two disproportionate sizes, a very large piece and a miniscule piece. Then, it doesn’t matter what piece I pick since you know you would get the larger piece.
Or, perhaps if you have complete power over me, you could just decide to stab me and take the entire cake for yourself.
I guess it all depends on how much you like chocolate cake.
I think Abdullah Zaik loves chocolate cake. He loves it so much that he isn’t willing to share any of it with anyone else.
He seems supremely confident that he can have the cake to himself.
I am not sure he should be that confident.
He isn’t the only chocolate cake lover in town. Some people might resist his attempt to take the cake for himself.
Or, they will make a bigger and tastier cake that they will not share with him.
If they take the latter option, he will be left on his own to partake of a very small and inconsequential cake, one that nobody has any interest in.
To those who think it is worth debating about who gets what share of a cake, they would do well to remember that such debates only matter if others retain interest in getting a piece of the cake.
When everyone else walks way, they would do well to ask whether it has all been worthwhile.
As the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too!
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
