Puzzling Over The Puzzles of Economists

Economists often get puzzled by things that other people don't wonder much about. Voting is one example of this. Here's another:

Would you rather earn $50,000 a year while other people make $25,000, or would you rather earn $100,000 a year while other people get $250,000? Assume for the moment that prices of goods and services will stay the same.

Surprisingly -- stunningly, in fact -- research shows that the majority of people select the first option; they would rather make twice as much as others even if that meant earning half as much as they could otherwise have. How irrational is that?

Actually, not so surprising or irrational at all. A simple two word explanation offers a solution to this puzzle: Mating Opportunities

Oh yeah, that.