This is a common strategy in competitive games. For example, in chess, it might greatly benefit you to hinder your opponent’s pieces rather than improving one of your own pieces.
It might make rational sense in zero sum games where there is a winner and loser (or a draw). But the real world is full of examples of less rational people who forgo an improvement in their own situation to worsen someone else’s situation, to create negative-sum competitive plays in a world where positive-sum collaboration is actually possible.
This is a common strategy in competitive games. For example, in chess, it might greatly benefit you to hinder your opponent’s pieces rather than improving one of your own pieces.
It might make rational sense in zero sum games where there is a winner and loser (or a draw). But the real world is full of examples of less rational people who forgo an improvement in their own situation to worsen someone else’s situation, to create negative-sum competitive plays in a world where positive-sum collaboration is actually possible.