Zero-sum bias

 

A bias whereby a situation is incorrectly perceived to be like a zero-sum game (i.e., one person gains at the expense of another).

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Often people resent the profit that the other party is making "at their expense," not noticing that they chose to trade with the other party because they judge themselves to be better off (that is, making a profit for themselves) than if they did not trade. They are thinking more zero-sum than the win-win it is.