Monday, August 9, 2010

Trade Off #6: Training vs Battling

Deciding whether to build resources or engage in actual competition is a common trade off that individuals must wrestle with. The upsides to building up resources are that you'll have a better chance of success when you do engage, and that it may be safer. The upsides to battling now are that you'll have more immediate feedback, and that you may end up with more total chances to battle. Examples:
  • An aspiring athlete can either practice her fundamentals (training) or go play the actual sport (battling).
  • Periods of seismic quiescence (fewer small quakes) from 1 to 2.5 years often precede large earthquakes (see here). One can think of quiescence as "training" that builds up tension in the fault prior to rupture. 
  • In developmental economics, there is an inverse correlation among children between hours of work and reading / math skills (see here). Generally, studying is training while doing is battling.
  • In reproduction, some models argue that there is a trade off between sperm production and securing mates (see here). Production is training while mating is, in some senses, a battle. 
This is one of the trade-offs that has the potential to be subsumed into others, but for now it seems canonical enough to justify its own spot.

(credit for sweet photo of preying mantis goes to HUS0)