The Mathematical Error of Prevailing Selfishness

[DLJ]

Movie or real life.

Insert an -archy or an -ocracy instead of 'The Group' and see if it fits.

Examples:  British monarchy, rogue institutions like the CIA or the Catholic Church or any Corporation (which is what I had in mind as I wrote the above) or even a professional sportsball club.  

Also, if you've ever been involved in BCP (business continuity planning) or DR (disaster recovery) you'll have spotted the benefits (even criticality) of switching to a dictatorship model to ensure the survival of The Group over the individual.  

Welcome to the dystopia.

I've been involved in BCP and I did not get that impression. We may have been doing it wrong, but the plan is to keep the business running and prevent anyone from losing their job if something bad happens like our buildings getting flooded. And since the plan was developed by consensus and consultation, it doesn't feel like a dictatorship model at all. By planning contingencies in advance we avoid having a single person (who might not even be alive if the disaster was really bad) be responsible for all the shot-calling in emergencies. We all know what we're supposed to do in various scenarios and we're well-trained enough to step up and adapt to unexpected contingencies. The group ensures maximum survival of the individuals in the group...there isn't a group without the individuals who make it up.

Sounds like you're doing it right.  

So we need a word for 'orderly controlled compliance developed by consensus and consultation'... maybe 'democracy'?  All good.  And that is BCP.

In the actual DR situation there is none of that going on until after 'back-to-normal'.  As the Romans did before us, with their Caesar who steps up and directs the pre-agreed shots, we have a triangular structure: A small number of decision-makers, the larger coordination team and the largest recovery/salvage team(s).... military style.  When the war is over... etc.  

As an aside:  Hence a perpetual war is very lucrative for the MIC.  Anyone spotted the new Oceania branded as AUKUS?  Bravo Orwell.

Anyway, yes, The Group = The Business.  The plan is for survival of The Group.
I used to ask people in my classes if they'd prepared for the next epidemic (I wasn't prescient enough to predict a pandemic) and also asked whether the business (e.g. banks) could survive if all the people were lost.  Yes, they can, as long as the data is there.

He may be referring to a situation in which survival of the group is threatened, a crisis of some sort.  It may be beneficial in such situations to adopt leadership models that one wouldn't ordinarily adopt.

Indeed.  He may.  And it would.