Group-Think and Human Advancement

Agriculture and animal domestication enabled us to go beyond being the dominant species on the planet.  They were the means by which we began using the resources of our planet to be able to increase our numbers and to increase our comfort.  Our human left brain capabilities, especially the group left brain, had demonstrated their transcendent abilities. 

Agriculture was only the first major collective effort of humans that resulted in tremendous acceleration of civilization development.   We have had numerous similar explosive developments.  Some are smaller than others, but each builds upon the successes of previous technological development.  Some of the other earlier technology explosions were invention of the wheel, invention of writing and an alphabet, and domestication of animals.  Along the way there were other technology explosions such as the use of metals, the printing press and the industrial revolution.  More recent technology explosions include transportation (cars, trains and planes), electricity, radio, television, etc.  Each new development is a revolution that comprises a very fast pace of development because of the collective efforts of humans.  The most recent technology explosion we’ve experienced is the computer age…… leading to the age of information.  In the computer revolution, the doubling phenomenon has been dubbed “Moore’s Law” – stating that computer technological development doubles every 18 months. 

Our “group-think” has enabled the explosion of advances throughout human history. When we work together, we seemingly have unlimited development – as evidenced by the wonders of our current civilization. 

At the core of it all, these large technological revolutions each required that people cooperate and contribute to the whole.  Very close to our own ego is the desire and need to focus our efforts on the collective whole.  We each possess a sense of group-responsibility. 

Close to our very own ego, we feel a need to contribute to the whole.  Without this need, we would have been unable to build the Civilization that we see around us.  On average, each human contributes to the whole and the whole is advanced to at least some small extent by each person’s efforts. Without this collective cooperation, as fueled by the inner need of each person to do so, we would still be hunter/gatherers.