5 ms·
A group is formed to handle a perceived type of problem - a committee or task force. They triage and rank these problems, then deal with them in decreasing orde
by stephengillie 9y ago
A group is formed to handle a perceived type of problem - a committee or task force. They triage and rank these problems, then deal with them in decreasing order of determined importance.
Solving each problem has costs, such as disruption to other people's lives - both involved parties and bystanders, but this disruption is seen as a necessary evil. Below a certain threshold of problem, solving problems becomes too expensive, and the cost is greater than the problem-removal benefit. These groups rarely dissolve when they are past this point, due in most cases to the ego of an individual human or small group.
This is a generalization of many concepts, but I've never been sure what to call it.
- conanbatt 9y agoGovernment.
- hateduser2 9y agoWhy ego? This is just as easily explained by habit/routine/dependence on the group by its members
- tankenmate 9y ago“It’s hard to make a man understand something when his livelihood depends on him not understanding it” -- Upton Sinclair It's rare for a open ended committee or organisation without founding scope to vote for its own dissolution.
- QAPereo 9y ago“Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.” Just to bookend your excellent quote.
- hateduser2 9y agoI think actually that’s what I meant by dependence on the group for money or wellbeing (livelihood?). Separating those things from ego (pride)
- ThrustVectoring 9y agoIt's an example of a principle-agent problem, for one. Generally speaking, members of groups make decisions that are better for them than for the group.
- Sniffnoy 9y agoJerry Pournelle's "Iron Law of Bureaucracy" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle#Iron_Law_of_Bureaucracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Pournelle#Iron_Law_of_Bu...) seems related.