When people act in their own immediate self-interest and overuse scarce resources, ecologist Garrett Hardin calls such a situation

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The tragedy of the commons refers to a situation where individuals, acting in their own self-interest and without any kind of regulation or ownership, overuse and ultimately deplete a shared and limited resource. Examples of the tragedy of the commons include overfishing in the oceans or excessive grazing on public lands. Garrett Hardin first popularized this concept in a 1968 article in the journal Science.

When People Act in Their Own Immediate Self-Interest and Overuse