Discussing the nature of different types of goods today in class, we discussed public and private goods, toll/club goods and common pool resources.
At one point in the noon class (section 1), the example of my moustache was given as an example of a toll good. I got thinking about this after class.
I could, presumably, only provide certain individuals the visual enjoyment of my moustache by wearing a ski mask most of the time and only letting certain people see it (maybe this is what Subcomandante Marcos has going on--a moustachioed individual unwilling to show off his stubbly resources to the non-Zapatista), but normally, my moustache is not an excludable good. You all get to enjoy the externality of my brilliantly executed moustachery. Instead, I would call my moustache a public good. You all benefit from my moustache being awesome. The good is non-excludable and non-subtractable.
However, though there is some cost to my moustache (takes me a little while to shave around it in the morning, and I have to clean up after trimming it lest my wife get mad at me), the internalized benefits are still greater than the costs (really helps me get interviews started doing the fieldwork, for one thing).
The endshot is, I would like to encourage all of you who have the proper genetic makeup (generally, a Y chromosome) to get in touch with your inner Karl Marx/Francisco Villa/Prince Albert/John Henry Holliday/Miguel Grau and grow some mutton chops, handlebars, or other soup-straining hirsute headgear.
19 comments:
haha, and on top of that it is "no shave november" which is even more of a reason to grow some facial hair. I can't grow a beard so i'm gonna work on my moustache.
Hey Matt,
Good News... I believe that it is called "Movember" and men all around the world are participating for a good cause. All you need to do is grow any kind of Mustache for the month of November (or MOVEMBER) to bring much needed awareness and funding to cancers that affect men, specifically prostate and testicular cancer.
If you want you can even get your buddies together and form a team in which you get other people to sponsor you to grow you "MO" You can check out my team and the official website to learn more at...
http://us.movember.com/mospace/340222/
I don't have any sponsors yet so if anyone is interested GO For IT
No shave November all the wayyy!!
What about us who don't enjoy your moustache? Or think that is a cost to society? Meh Grow 'em if you got'em!
Girlfriend be damned! My moustache will grow.
Being that your moustache is excludable (though you choose not to exclude, you still maintain the option and sole right to do so...) it is a private good, albeit one with positive externalities.
The awesomeness of your moustache, and the ease of viewing it during class time could result in congestion, thus creating a market failure and negative externalities *check with students who are wait-listed for your spring '10 course, just to get a look at that sweeeeeet 'stachio...
Any way you cut it, your sole ownership and the fact that you remain sole arbiter of said moustache, it remains, and will always be a pure private good (though again, one with a vast positive externalities.)
PS: I'm working on emulating civil war general Lew Wallace (Union) with my facial hair.
This is great.
I meant to mention how this kind of blogging makes me look forward to logging in. Who can think of a more entertaining way to productively debate the classification of goods?
*"anyway you cut it"... unintentional pun! Hoorah! that makes my day (simple pleasures my friends...).
I've thought about this some more, I think the moustache is a private good, while the enjoyment of the moustache is a toll good. Anyone want to help me on this one?
I know I'm a bit hung up on this post... I once wrote a paper in a previous political science course on the valuation of scenic beauty in the decisions revolving around the placement of highways.
I was thinking that if I owned a mountain, I could in theory exclude others from it's scenic beauty (ala covering the 'satche) but building a ridiculous wall or something of the like is not really an option... Either way, do barriers to exclusion prevent a private good from being private?
hahaha this must be one the best postings yet. What a great example that made everything so clear however I don't think everyone has the ability to grow a moustache like that.
This has inspired me! I will have to keep the stache for a bit when I shave my beard.
First off, for my first REAL job interview, im growing a replica mustache to impress my interviewer. I would also agree on the awesomeness of your mustache and your classification of it as a non-excludable public good. I enjoy my class periods staring up into the elegantly manicured 'stache', many times drifting in and out of consciousness as i am over-whellmed by its natural beauty.
Do you find that with such unique facial hair that you meet more people? Are people generally more attracted to your facial hair or not?
Haha this is great! Never would have thought of something like this.
I don't know about meeting more interesting people, but I find that it's easier to get interviews with people when I'm doing my fieldwork because of my moustache--or at least it appears easier (maybe I should try cutting if off some time to see if it makes a difference).
A lot of the places I've been, being a white guy from the US can be a problem in terms of the way people view you, but because of the facial hair, people tend to view me less as "un gringo" and more of "ese gringo con esos bigotes ridiculosos."
Getting an appointment with people in Bolivia is pretty much not an option most of the time, so I normally just walk into a place and start talking--as a result, appearances can make a difference.
David McKinley
As not to offend moustachers everywhere...I will wait a little longer for the density to increase, then the 'stache it is!
Ever since the first day of class, I have wanted to grow mine. I actually stopped shaving late October.
:( It has gotten me nowhere except looking scruffy.
I wish i was cool enough to grow a legitimate 'stache
I have had a stash now for a month and agree that it changes my first impression on people. People seem to respect me more and look up to the man with the stash. I'm not sure why. My wife said it makes me look older and more sophisticated. When I run into old friends they laugh and say they love the stash. Some don't even recognize me at first.
I agree with Glen's idea about being a white guy with a stash in foreign countries. I do a bit of traveling as well and often find myself as the minority. When I'm out surfing in these foreign countries I find that I get less dirty looks from the locals when I have a full beard. When I look back at any times of confrontation that I had in the water, I was clean cut.
Next time I'm out and about in another country, I will try the big old stache and see what happens.
I would encourage all men to participate in no shave november all twelve months of the the year, for there is nothing better than a full bodied, full time, all man beard.
I think another cost you are forgetting is to those who don't like facial hair or find them distracting. This could potentially harm you because your conversations may become less meaningful when the listener is focused on the mustache. It could also be harmful to the public who is distracted by facial hair, and therefore gets less out of conversing with those who have it.
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