The tragedy of the mind (or tragedy of the commons ) is a concept that refers to the problem where individuals, acting in their own interests, overload and ultimately deplete a common resource, despite being harmful to everyone, including themselves. This concept was made popular by Garrett Hardin in 1968.

Five historical examples:

  1. Overgrazing in medieval Europe
    In many villages in the Middle Ages, there were communal pastures ( municipalities ). Farmers grazed their livestock there, but if too many farmers did this without regulation, the pastures were depleted, leading to food scarcity.

  2. Deforestation on Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
    The residents of Easter Island felled trees en masse for firewood, canoes and the construction of their famous statues. This led to deforestation, soil erosion, and ultimately the collapse of their civilization.

  3. Newfoundland cod overfishing
    For centuries, cod fishing in Newfoundland (Canada) was an important industry. Due to unbridled fishing, especially in the 20th century, the cod population collapsed and fishing had to be stopped in 1992.

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