# Common **Common**, adjective, means mutual, shared by more than one. *Derived terms*: **Commons**, noun, is the abstract concept of resources shared by more than one, for example air, water, information. **Common Good** which comes to be used in many ways, though we might summarise it as follows: * It's *substantive* when it is shared and beneficial to all or most of the members of a given community; it is a good being enjoyed in common. * It's *procedural* when the good is an outcome achieved through collective participation and by shaping a shared will. Both are based on respect for the dignity and rights of others. **The Tragedy of the Commons** The concept originated in 1833 by a British economist (W. F. Lloyd) who used a hypothetical example of the effects of grazing on Common Land not regulated by shared social structures or formal rules. And what can happen is that one (or more parts) refuse to make sacrifices of their interests for the **Common Good**. The concept became widely known over a century later for an [article](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.162.3859.1243) written by Garrett Hardin in 1968. **Digital Commons**; refers to information and data. **The Tragedy of Digital Commons**; applies to Hardin's theory to Digital Commons. *Antonyms*: Private, belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group. References: [Common](https://wikidiff.com/commons/common) [Common Good](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_good#cite_note-Britannica-1) [The Tragedy of the Commons](https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/tragedy-of-the-commons-impact-on-sustainability-issues)