Abstract

In 2015, Professor Anna Alexandrova and Professor Robert Northcott published an article entitled “Prisoner’s Dilemma doesn’t explain much.” There they tell us about a large literature which seeks to apply the famous prisoner’s dilemma rational actor model to various situations, with only one clear success: explaining an RNA virus. I suspect the average economist spots a number of prisoner’s dilemma situations but does not write about them. I present one in response to the popular singer Madonna’s song “Express Yourself.” Prospective romantic partners each have two options: express yourself or do not. If both do, there are suitable conditions for a romantic relationship. If one does and the other does not, the one who does ends up with hurt feelings and experiencing inequality. If both do not, there is no such inequality but no romance either. The rational choice, given the desire to avoid the asymmetric situation, which the singer has too, is for both parties to not express themselves.