Intuition behind Comparative Advantange I already read and ask NOT about pp 52-54, Principles of Microeconomics, 7 Ed, 2014, by N Gregory Mankiw. I understand such numerical examples that corroborate Comparative Advantage, but how can I intuit comparative advantage? I wish to quash my need to revisit these numerical examples to recollect this idea. i start with definitions from pp 52 and 53 (supra):


  absolute advantage = the ability to produce a
  good using fewer inputs
  than another producer
  
  comparative advantage = the ability to produce
  a good at a lower
  opportunity cost than
  another producer


I read this by Prof Steven M. Suranovic and understand the gardening example, but still lack intuition. 


  First, ... comparative advantage is clearly counter-intuitive. ... Secondly, the theory is easy to confuse with ... the theory of absolute advantage. The logic behind absolute advantage IS quite intuitive. This confusion between these two concepts leads many people to think that they understand comparative advantage when in fact, what they understand is absolute advantage.
  
  However, instead of assuming, as Adam Smith did, that England is more productive in producing one good and Portugal is more productive in the other; [David] Ricardo assumed that Portugal was more productive in both goods. Based on Smith's intuition, then, it would seem that trade could not be advantageous, at least for England.
A classic example is to consider the question


  Why doesn't Tiger Woods mow his own lawn?


Woods is an excellent golf player. But he also may be excellent at mowing. Still, if he devotes time to mow the lawn he sacrifices time playing golf, in which he is much more productive.

A gardener who is skilled at mowing lawns but not at playing golf sacrifices less in order to mow, so even though Tiger Woods may be better at it (i.e. has an absolute advantage), the gardener has a comparative advantage. Both benefit if the gardener is paid for the time that he mows the lawn by Tiger Woods who in the time he saves can earn more by concentrating on golf.