Intentions vs. Incentives

In the Soviet Union, furs piled up in warehouses, rotting, while people went hungry.

Illogical?

No.

The government required furriers, under penalty of the law, to meet their quotas.

So they did.

But they wouldn’t be punished for low food production.

Lesson I learned:

We act logically, based on our environment’s incentives.

These can include actual rewards and punishments, as well as mere convenience or the power of habit.

Intentions are nice, but incentives create results.