The Group Mentality
It all begins with an idea.
Summary
Whether you are a team player or not, playing as part of a team has its risks, so make sure you know how to play the game as part of the group and also to benefit yourself as an individual.
The Group Mentality
When you’re part of a group the game becomes more complicated. How do you play to win when you’re playing on a team? The answer is to think as part of the team, and to think for yourself. You want to win, whether that is as a team or as an individual.
It’s natural
If we look at the natural world we’ll see animals playing games all the time, and we don’t mean those cute little monkeys fooling around. The perfect illustration of game theory in animals is when we see them hunting. Many species do this in groups because they know playing in a team is the best way of ensuring a successful kill. Many animals will implement strategies for luring their pray, tracking their pray, and surrounding their pray. But as with everything, how you play depends on which side you are on and on predicting what everyone else will do. Let’s say you are the prey and you’re being attacked by a lion. One lion against a group of buffalo. There are more of you than there of him, but still it’s most likely that the buffalo won’t overpower the lion, they’ll run away. Should you be the one who bravely attacks the lion? No, because you’ll end up being its prey. You should stick with the group and run. But what if the buffalo have realised they out number the lion and make a plan to attack as a group? Should you join in with this brave attack? No, you should stay at the back and keep your distance. Why? Because some of those buffalo are going to get hurt in this battle and you don’t want to be one of them.
Don’t take one for the team
If you want to be a hero, you must understand your odds. It’s all well and fine coming out of the fight with your honour intact, but that’s not much use if you’ve sustained terminal injuries in the process. Look at the situation and weigh up what your odds are. If this situation looks likely to result in you losing, hang back, don’t be a hero, at least you’ll live. If everyone has thought the same and are all hanging back, or running away, be a team player and do the same. Don’t be a hero. So, what about the guy who acts the hero and comes out with medals on his chest? That is simply the risk you take. Yes, some people will benefit from pushing forward and fighting at the front, but there are no guarantees this will mean a win for that individual. It might. It might not. This all comes down to the kind of person you and how much you want to win, as apposed to how you want to appear. If it’s glory you’re looking for you can fight, but to win the game takes strategy and cunning, and these things are not the traits of the hero.