IDEA FOUND // IDEA 161
Reciprocity
“People respond to what they receive and to the intention they think they see behind it.”
01 / PLAINLY
What it means, plainly
Reciprocity describes favorable responses to perceived kindness and negative responses to perceived wrongs.
02 / CONTEXT
A little more
Reciprocity describes favorable responses to perceived kindness and negative responses to perceived wrongs. In experimental economics it helps explain behavior beyond maximizing one's own payoff.
03 / WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Attributed intention can matter alongside the actual benefit, so a misunderstanding can turn cooperation into conflict.
04 / EXAMPLE
A familiar example
A supplier makes an extra effort after genuine flexibility, but not necessarily after an automatic system discount.
05 / LIMIT
What it does not mean
It is not a law of moral balance; it may fail, escalate conflict, or rest on a misread intention.
06 / NOTICE
Notice it in your day
Recall a minor favor or slight and separate what happened from the intention you attributed. Write one question that could test that reading.
FINAL NOTE
The idea worth keeping
Separate the benefit received from the intention attributed, and leave room to repair misunderstandings.
QUESTIONS / 02
Questions people still have
Does reciprocity respond only to the outcome received?
No. It may also respond to the intention a person believes was behind the action.
Is reciprocity a law that always returns good for good?
No. It can fail, escalate conflict, or rest on a misread intention.