Cooperation is also inhibited, according to many neo-realist writers, because states tend to be concerned with ‘relative gains’, rather than ‘absolute gains’. Instead of being interested in cooperation because it will benefit both partners, state, they suggest, always have to be aware of how much they are gaining compared with the state they are cooperating with. Because all state will be attempting to maximize their gains in a competitive, mistrustful, and uncertain international environment, cooperation will always be very difficult to achieve and hard to maintain.