Glamor Economics

Chapter 7

Chapter 1 Section 6 Why the AA system is very hurt in China

The AA system involves consumption and bill payment, and is also the main object of economics research. From this issue, we can see a rational and win-win way of thinking in economics.In a sense, AA is also an inevitable product of the development of social and commercial civilization to a certain extent.

AA is the abbreviation of "Algebraic Average", which means "algebraic average". Literally, it means sharing the bill on an average basis.The movie "The Joy Luck Club" vividly portrays this.

In the film a girl falls in love with her boss.From pre-marriage to post-marriage, the two asked to share all expenses equally, and the husband looked for opportunities to take advantage of her money everywhere. In fact, his salary was more than seven times hers.

She subscribes to magazines, he reads them, but she pays for them; she doesn't eat ice cream, but the money for buying ice cream is shared equally... When she watched him calculate the expenses in front of the calculator day after day, she knew that the foundation of their marriage was gradually Disintegrated, but he didn't feel anything wrong at all.Her mother went to their home, and after just a few glances, she knew what was wrong.She said to her daughter, "Actually, you know what you want in marriage. Tell me, what is it?" The daughter said, "Respect, tenderness and love." The mother said, "Well, leave unless he can give it to you. he."

Chinese people have always paid attention to etiquette, and they have to rush to pay for meals together.But Westerners do not fight or grab, the AA system is simple and clear.Why is there such a difference?The usual answer is because of cultural differences. Chinese people care about face and are polite, while Westerners are more down-to-earth and advocate independence.But if we ask again, why the Chinese culture is different from that of the Westerners, and how did the different cultures come into being, is there any reason?I am afraid that many people will not be able to answer.Culture is a very difficult thing to explain clearly. Answering the difference between Chinese people’s way of treating guests and Westerners by using different cultures is to explain one unclear thing to another unclear thing. Such an answer is difficult for people. Satisfied.

In fact, we can look at this issue from an economic point of view.This involves the question of cost and benefit in economics, that is, no matter what a person does, if he pays the cost, he will get the expected benefit.

First of all, there are differences in the "mobility" between China and the West.According to economists, the Chinese society in history was characterized by agricultural civilization, and the mobility of the crowd was relatively poor. Therefore, when a person pays the bill for a treat, it is completely predictable that the person invited will also invite him in the future, so Those who treat guests don’t actually suffer, everyone just takes turns.In other words, the living conditions of Chinese people are relatively stable.Billing is nothing more than a round-robin process.In the West, however, oceans and commercial civilization have made people more mobile. A person who is in this place today may be in that place tomorrow.If one person invites someone else's guests, the person who is invited may never meet again in this life. In order for everyone not to suffer, it is the best way to share with each other and pay for each person.

People are rational. He pays the cost today to pay for others, just to get the expected benefits in the future, that is, let others pay for him in the future.The more stable the mutual living conditions are, the less risk a person will pay for others, and the greater the possibility that he will be rewarded by others in the future, and vice versa, the greater the risk, the less likely the return will be.

Secondly, the Chinese are not blindly paying the bill by one person.The first time two people ate together, everyone rushed to pay the bill. Although everyone rushed to pay the second time, it was often the one who didn't pay last time tried to prevent the other from paying, and the last time The party paying the money also took advantage of the opportunity to put down the hand that took out the wallet, and was polite.From this point of view, the Chinese actually implement an AA system, but in a different form, which is relatively reserved.

Human nature is self-interested, and modern economics research on human beings is also based on this recognition of human nature. Therefore, in the eyes of economists, people are all rational people, and the purpose of all their activities is to In order to maximize personal interests.In the process of dealing with interpersonal relationships, everyone conforms to the self-interested side of human nature, which is also consistent with the principles taught in economics.

(End of this chapter)