Sanity Zone 11-8-2013. Friendly Fire

Thomas Hobbes wasn't far off when he described the life of man as "solitary, poor, nasty brutish and short." Feudal societies were cauldrons of darwinistic experiments, where the ruling classes imposed a violence based caste system where only the strong and clever survived. Also key was the narrow definition of loyalty and the broad latitude given to those charged with enforcement. A "one size fits all" mentality in which the size changed to fit the whims of the oppressors.

It would be nice to believe that our culture has evolved beyond the cro-magnon social structure that imprisoned man for so long. Yet pockets of this philosophy exist and thrive at the convenience of those who economically benefit. That is, at least, what the oppressors rationalize. The cog must fit or else be destroyed, or fear that the cog in another's hand may aid in our demise. With such a narrow world view, progress is accidental, not organic.

Each individual grows and learns according to their own blueprint. But society plays a huge role on how that blueprint develops. The social contract that binds us should not be subordinate to the malfeasance of some. Society cannot progress and improve, and is thus harmed by regressive and irrational tyrannies.

When we join a group that is competitive with other groups, we do so in order to maximize our payout for the contributions to the group's success. Naturally one has to accept adherence to the strategies, but total conformance is impossible due to the limitations and characteristics of the individuals. What makes little sense are the internal coercive techniques that don't relate to the effectiveness of the individual relative to the performance of the group. Even less justifiable are the destructive tactics relative to the group's investment in the individual.

There will always be a case for sacrifice. We give up some dear part of ourselves in order to improve our position. When we institutionalize this"sacrifice" mentality for every interaction, we automatically designate assets as subordinate to the cause without reflection. The destruction becomes ritual.

One shot, five shots, a thousand shots. If all we have as tools to get the most out of our own team members is to fire at those who don't totally conform, because the ritual sacrifice is demanded, the society is doomed. The group success is now subordinate to the process-condoned friendly fire. It is the group that is weak for fearing change and the individual resisting strong for surviving the not-at-all friendly fire.