To share such an increase in risk with an enemy may provide him an overpowering incentive to lay off. Preferably one creates the shared risk by irreversible maneuvers or commitments, so that only the enemy's withdrawal can tranquilize the situation; otherwise it may turn out to be a contest of nerves.

DEFINE: Explains the strategic mechanism of 'brinkmanship' — deliberately creating shared, irreversible risk to make an adversary back down.

Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, loc. 433