Margaret Heffernan cites an experiment that showed hens were more productive when less competitive. Photograph: Alamy
This is a link to a book review. This seems such a worthwhile read I thought I’d share the link even before I’ve read the Kindle version I’ve just downloaded. I may live to regret that decision. Only time will tell. However, it maps so closely onto themes that matter to me which I have explored elsewhere on this blog, the temptation was irresistible. Below is an extract: for the full review see link.
While studying natural selection, William Muir, a geneticist at Purdue University, ran an experiment measuring the egg-laying productivity of two flocks of chickens. The first group was a so-called free flock, in which animals could roam and mingle as they pleased, while the second comprised only the most productive birds. After several generations, the free flock was cranking out eggs at a furious pace. But for the descendants of the high achievers, it was a different story. Most had been killed by hens that saw them as rivals, and the few survivors were in a sorry state, harrying and pecking at one another unforgivingly. “That describes my department,” said one of Muir’s colleagues shown evidence of the damage.
One of many scientific studies referenced in Margaret Heffernan‘s new book, the parable of the chickens is intended to show what can happen when a group of über-competitive individuals is brought together. Economists have taught us that competitive self-interest ultimately benefits everyone and makes society more productive, but Heffernan believes the opposite. In her view, the ascendancy of competition in all walks of life has impoverished people and the planet in countless ways.
Everybody Means Something 