The Great Hunt

A group of hunters encircled a stag. If all held their positions, the stag would be caught and every family would feast for a week. But the encirclement required patience. Every hunter had to trust every other hunter to stay.

A rabbit ran past one hunter’s feet. A guaranteed meal for his family tonight. If he broke formation to catch it, the stag would escape through the gap, and everyone else would go hungry.

He looked at the rabbit. He looked at his companions. He held his ground.

The stag hunt succeeds only when every participant trusts that no one will grab the rabbit. The payoff for cooperation is higher, but the risk of trusting is real.