I think a group of humans can certainly be regarded as an organism in its own right. I think far too few people take this "new-age" concept of meta- or super-o

I think a group of humans can certainly be regarded as an organism in its own right. I think far too few people take this "new-age" concept of meta- or super-organisms seriously. However, evolution cannot work in the same way on such meta-organisms. Intelligence and the emergent phenomena it creates (strategic planning, willful competition) will logically overshadow almost everything else in determining group survival for higher organisms. I suppose one could make a different but related argument that because certain mood disorders seem to be linked to creativity and intelligence, and because those things confer group advantage (in developing competitive strategy), depression might indirectly provide group advantage.