Prisoners Dilemma vs Iterated Prisoners Dilemma.

Low trust == maximize mechanical power and optimization

Higher trust == invest time, relationship-building and lower individual transaction profit over a larger volume of profit

Few consumer sales interactions fall into the second category.

prisoner’s dilemma is a dilemma for a reason: it optimizes the total outcome badly. maybe this is why the pessimization of the modern business cycle everyone loves to cry about always works out that way — we’re all interacting in a commons where trying to screw everyone else as hard as possible is the rule, not the exception.

Depends on the market of course, but scarcity, either natural or artificial, can do wonders.