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“Who gets to be in charge of me? And why should I listen to them?”
These might sound like rebellious questions from a teenager, but they're actually fundamental to understanding human society. The answers reveal how deeply our need for cooperation shapes everything from morning traffic patterns to international treaties.
The truth is, nearly everything we enjoy -- our homes, schools, food supply, and our peace — relies on the foundational concept of power.
You might protest, "But we're civilized! We have laws!" That's true. But even in nature, animals adhere to the biological law of the jungle. The difference is that humans organize on a vastly larger scale.
Now imagine there’s no government at all. No one in charge. What happens then?
Different tribes and groups would form and fight for control.
These tribes would then make their own rules and pick their own leaders based on hierarchy. If you live near them, they might expect you to follow their rules. And if you don’t? They may use force to make you.
You could ask, “Why should I follow your rules?”
And their response might simply be, “Because we’re stronger.”
One tribe could start growing, gaining more people, land, and power.
As one group grows more successful - they gain resources, territory, and members - they might try to take over your group or conquer neighboring groups. You can’t stop them fluffy politics or marching like ants around their building, they'd kill you! So, your group begins to build an army to defend itself. That means more rules, more structure and pretty soon,
“Who gets to be in charge of me? And why should I listen to them?”
These might sound like rebellious questions from a teenager, but they're actually fundamental to understanding human society. The answers reveal how deeply our need for cooperation shapes everything from morning traffic patterns to international treaties.
The truth is, nearly everything we enjoy -- our homes, schools, food supply, and our peace — relies on the foundational concept of power.
You might protest, "But we're civilized! We have laws!" That's true. But even in nature, animals adhere to the biological law of the jungle. The difference is that humans organize on a vastly larger scale.
Now imagine there’s no government at all. No one in charge. What happens then?
Different tribes and groups would form and fight for control.
These tribes would then make their own rules and pick their own leaders based on hierarchy. If you live near them, they might expect you to follow their rules. And if you don’t? They may use force to make you.
You could ask, “Why should I follow your rules?”
And their response might simply be, “Because we’re stronger.”
One tribe could start growing, gaining more people, land, and power.
As one group grows more successful - they gain resources, territory, and members - they might try to take over your group or conquer neighboring groups. You can’t stop them fluffy politics or marching like ants around their building, they'd kill you! So, your group begins to build an army to defend itself. That means more rules, more structure and pretty soon,
That’s how states are born. Not from deep philosophy books, but from the basic need of humans to stay alive, safe, and organized. A state is just a bigger, well-run tribe that succeeded.
If you try to live without any tribe, out in the wild, you’re on your own. No help, no backup. You’d have to find food and shelter by yourself. Maybe that sounds free — but what's a life alone wandering the woods?
Humans have always done better when we cooperate. Alone, we’re weak. Together, we’re powerful.
People love to argue about what makes a leader fair or just. But this can only be done once the work of protecting yourself was able to form, and without that inherited power, there would be no discussion.
People who work well together and build systems that actually work, are the ones who end up in charge.
But we can only have them when we're not starving or under attack. Talking about “rights” and “rules” works best in a safe place where someone else is already doing the hard job of protecting you.
So, who gets to make the rules?
The people who can.
The ones who organize, grow, protect, and win.
Understanding how authority emerges doesn't mean accepting tyranny. Once we recognize that all governments derive from our collective need for organization and security, we can work to make them more fair, transparent, and accountable. The rise of new technologies, from democratic institutions to digital networks, offers us ethereal opportunities and ways to reimagine how we organize ourselves.
The question isn't whether we need governance — it's how we can create systems that serve everyone better. That conversation starts with understanding why we have governments in the first place.
That’s how states are born. Not from deep philosophy books, but from the basic need of humans to stay alive, safe, and organized. A state is just a bigger, well-run tribe that succeeded.
If you try to live without any tribe, out in the wild, you’re on your own. No help, no backup. You’d have to find food and shelter by yourself. Maybe that sounds free — but what's a life alone wandering the woods?
Humans have always done better when we cooperate. Alone, we’re weak. Together, we’re powerful.
People love to argue about what makes a leader fair or just. But this can only be done once the work of protecting yourself was able to form, and without that inherited power, there would be no discussion.
People who work well together and build systems that actually work, are the ones who end up in charge.
But we can only have them when we're not starving or under attack. Talking about “rights” and “rules” works best in a safe place where someone else is already doing the hard job of protecting you.
So, who gets to make the rules?
The people who can.
The ones who organize, grow, protect, and win.
Understanding how authority emerges doesn't mean accepting tyranny. Once we recognize that all governments derive from our collective need for organization and security, we can work to make them more fair, transparent, and accountable. The rise of new technologies, from democratic institutions to digital networks, offers us ethereal opportunities and ways to reimagine how we organize ourselves.
The question isn't whether we need governance — it's how we can create systems that serve everyone better. That conversation starts with understanding why we have governments in the first place.
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