A youngster flings a rock at a baker’s window. Groups of people collect on site to satisfy their curiosity and jointly settle on the fact that even though someone broke the window, there is a positive side to the event (Wikisource). A glazier will come and replace the broken window. Therefore, the baker made a loss but on other side, the glazier gained. Hence, another man’s gain’s is someone else loss. In addition, as the glazier gains, the entire society also benefits due to the fact that he can use the finances in various ways hence different people would benefit. Thus, as the glazier spends his income, various people will gain from his income. In short breaking the window was caused a rippling effect across the community.
The mob of people overlooked the tailor. When one puts the tailor at the center, the whole situation changes the perspective and alters the condition as he comes into the limelight after one considers an alternative scenario (Wikisource). How things would turn out if the window would not break. In addition, if the window would remain intact and in the end, the hoodlum would spend the money on a new suit hence the glazier would be at a loss. Hence, the neighborhood would not gain anything from the Hoodlum’s actions. Thus, depending on the frame of the situation the losses and wins may change significantly. There the broken window creates a number of scenarios and each scenario has its own losses and gains. The losses and gains shift depending on the elements placed at the center of the situation. If the baker’s suit is at the center, the community loses and of the glazier’s income comes first, the community gains.
Reference