# Principles of Cooperation
Self-interested agents which form stable long-term relationships with positive sum outcomes have the following properties:
## Be kind
- Give more than taking, generally, people reciprocate in mutually benefictial ways
## Be forgiving
- When a person defects, don't assume malintent and cut them off harshly from transcting
## Be retaliatory
- punish commensurately to disincentivise unwanted behavior
## Be consistent
- reward and punishment should be transparent