A win whose cost exceeds its value, which the winner's own framing makes hard to recognise.
Named for Pyrrhus, who beat the Romans at Asculum in 279 BC and reportedly said another such victory would undo him. The winner's own framing is what makes the cost hard to see.
In practice
- A litigant awarded £12,000 after three years has spent £40,000 getting there, and the judgment is reported as a win.
- A firm that wins a contract by underbidding staffs it at a loss for four years, and the win was reported as a win throughout.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Games & Strategic Interaction
- Essay
- The recurring shapes of conflict and cooperation