Supposeyouaredrivingonahighwaywiththreelanesgoinginyourdirectionandyoucomeuponatollplazawithsixtollbooths.Threetollboothsarestraightaheadinthethreelanesoftraffic,andthethreeotherboothsareofftotheright.Whichlaneshouldyouchoose?(86)Thereareusuallyenoughpeoplesearchingfortheshortestlinesoastomakeallthelinesaboutthesamelength.
Thetermprofitineconomicshasaveryprecisemeaning.Economists,however,oftenlooselyreferto“gooddeals”orprofitableventureswithnoriskasprofitopportunities.Usingthetermloosely,aprofitopportunityexistsatthetollboothsinonelineisshorterthantheothers.Thegeneralviewofeconomicsisthatprofitopportunitiesarerare.Atanyonetimetherearemanypeoplesearchingforsuchopportunities,andasaconsequencefewexist.