An excellent mechanic can tell what's wrong with your car because they know how it operates before it even breaks down. Many people find economic issues confusing because they lack a clear concept of a functioning economic system. They are like those low-level mechanics who have only learned how to repair malfunctioning machines.

Once we take something for granted, it becomes difficult for us to see the true face of familiar things, as the saying goes, 'only because we are in this mountain.'. Therefore, we rarely pay attention to the existence of order in society and fail to recognize the social cooperation process that we rely on for survival every day. So, a good way to start studying economics is to first learn to be amazed by the achievements of social collaboration that we participate in every day. The traffic during peak hours is an excellent example.

1.1 Understanding Order
Seeing this suggestion, you may be surprised: "Peak traffic is an example of social collaboration? Shouldn't it be used to illustrate the law of the jungle or the collapse of social collaboration?" Absolutely not. If when others talk about "peak traffic", all you think of in your mind is "traffic jam", then you actually support the argument mentioned earlier, that we only pay attention to the situation of failure and take success for granted, even without feeling it. The main characteristic of peak traffic is movement rather than congestion, which is why people join the flow of traffic day after day and can almost always reach their destination. Of course, the transportation system is definitely not functioning perfectly. But after all, it can still function, and we must learn to be amazed by this astonishing fact.
At 8 o'clock in the morning, thousands of people left their homes, got into their cars, and rushed to their respective units. They all chose their own routes without consulting with others. Their driving skills are different, their attitudes towards risk are varied, and their level of politeness also varies greatly. The criss crossing road network constitutes the arteries and veins of urban transportation. When these private cars of different sizes and shapes travel or come in and out, various trucks, buses, motorcycles, and taxis join in, like a mixed box. People are heading towards their own goals, solely focused on their own interests. This is not necessarily because people are selfish, but simply because no one knows where others want to go. Regarding others, everyone's certainty is limited to the location, direction, and speed of the few cars around them. An important assumption to add to this is that other drivers are also working hard to avoid accidents just like themselves. Of course, there are some basic rules that everyone must follow, such as stopping at a red light or driving as close as possible to the maximum speed limit. That's pretty much the same thing. The overall arrangement described above may solve the chaos, but we may be concerned that cars on the road will turn into piles of scrap metal.

However, what we see is a smooth and orderly traffic flow, and if you look down from a high altitude, you may even feel a hint of aesthetic pleasure. All the independently running cars below are connected end-to-end, with a narrow distance between them, but they do not collide. Once there is a little gap, the cars next to them will seize the fleeting opportunity to suddenly merge. When the distance between cars is large, they will accelerate, and when the distance is small, they will slow down again. The traffic conditions during peak hours (or at any time in urban areas) are indeed a huge result of social cooperation, rather than chaos and disorder.

1.2 The Importance of Social Collaboration
Everyone is familiar with transportation, but almost no one sees it as a collaborative effort. Usually, we consider ourselves dependent on "economic" goods, but our dependence on social collaboration processes is much greater. Without a system that encourages cooperation, we cannot enjoy the various benefits of civilization. In 1651, Thomas Hobbes published "Leviathan," in which a passage is often quoted: "In this state, industry cannot exist because its results are unstable. As a result, everything from land cultivation, navigation, the use of imported goods from abroad, comfortable buildings, tools for moving and removing objects that require great effort, knowledge of landforms, records of time, literature, literature, society, etc. will cease to exist. The worst thing is that people will constantly be in fear and danger of violent death, and their lives will be lonely, impoverished, filthy, cruel, and short-lived
Because Hobbes believed that people are committed to self-protection and personal satisfaction, only force (or threats from force) can prevent people from constantly attacking each other. His works only emphasized the most basic form of social cooperation - staying away from violence and robbery. He seems to have made the following assumption: as long as people can refrain from personal attacks on others and do not infringe on their property, then positive collaborations that can generate industry, agriculture, knowledge, and art will naturally emerge. But will it be like this? Why should it be like this?

1.3 How did all of this happen?
The various services and products we enjoy require complex and interconnected production activities to be produced. So how do people motivate each other to produce these products and services? Even in the society of saints, if each saint does not want to fall into a life of "loneliness, poverty, filth, cruelty, and short life", they must use certain procedures to induce positive and appropriate cooperation. After all, before saints can effectively help others, they must decide what to do, where to do it, and when to do it.
It has been 350 years since Hobbes explored society. Hobbes may not have realized how important this issue is for understanding "collective" life. Because, compared to the society we live in, the society of Hobbes' era was much simpler, more constrained by customs and traditions, and less subject to rapid and destructive changes. In fact, it was not until the 18th century that a group of thinkers began to ponder why society could "operate" - individuals pursuing their own interests in extremely limited information not only did not cause chaos, but also formed an orderly and fruitful society.