How did Schelling use simple examples for complex problems?
I found that abstracting the essential strategic logic from seemingly simple, even mundane, dilemmas was crucial. Consider the problem of dividing a cake, or deciding where to meet in a city with no prior arrangement. These situations, stripped of emotional baggage or complex rules, reveal the fundamental strategic considerations: anticipating the other's moves, establishing credible commitments, or finding focal points for agreement. These micro-level insights could then illuminate macro-level challenges.
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