Why Banks Chain Their Pens

"Why do banks chain their pens to the desk? if I trust you with my money, you should trust me with your pen."

This quote has been floating around the internet for some time now, and I think it's worth using it as an example of how most people neglect to think about things from a more macroscopic perspective. It identifies how we as a society tend to focus on how we as individuals are affected by our surroundings rather than seeking an explanation from a larger framework.

The pen on a chain issue stems from the fact that people inadvertently take pens with them after signing things. It's not that people intend to do it, but often times, you forget to put the pen back down. Each time this happens, the major cost to the bank is not the pen, but the man hours wasted and the unnecessary increase of serving time at the teller. This may not seem like much to the regular customer who frequents the bank occasionally for 10 minutes or so, but if we consider the scale of these operations you'll start to see why it makes sense to retain the pens.