What reflects the natural outcome of people acting in their own self-interest?

The natural outcome of people acting in their own self-interest is best represented by market equilibrium. In a market economy, individuals seek to maximize their utility (for consumers) and profits (for producers) by making choices based on their preferences and resources. When consumers and producers interact in a competitive market, their self-interested behaviors lead to an equilibrium where the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied at a given price.

Market equilibrium reflects how prices adjust based on supply and demand, which are both influenced by the self-interested actions of economic agents. This balance ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, as individuals’ pursuits of their own interests inadvertently lead to outcomes that benefit the overall economy.

While concepts like the global production line, consumer choice theory, and production possibility frontier are important in understanding macroeconomic principles, they do not primarily illustrate how individual self-interest culminates in collective outcomes within markets as effectively as market equilibrium does. Thus, market equilibrium is the most appropriate answer, illustrating how individual actions contribute to broader market dynamics.