[schalab]

Seems to me a large part of growing up is keeping up with the herd. Like a pack of zebras in the savannah. If you stray too far behind or show weakness, you get picked off by the roving lions.

Now I can see utility in behavior divergent from the norm being encouraged. But at the same time, peer pressure to keep moving and keeping pace is a great motivator for growth.

So, I would say the issue needs to be studied with greater depth than it sucks for the guy being bullied. What is the greater effect on the entire population? If you ensure no one gets bullied there is a non zero possibility that it results in a negative effect for the entire population in the long run.

[magduf]

>Seems to me a large part of growing up is keeping up with the herd. Like a pack of zebras in the savannah. If you stray too far behind or show weakness, you get picked off by the roving lions.

Yeah, but you don't see the zebras beating the crap out of each other for being too slow. They just let the lions do it.

With us humans, we don't just leave others to their own devices; instead, we take on the role of the predator for no good reason. Basically, humans (some of them) are evil, and get enjoyment from doing evil things to others. Animals just don't have this problem for the most part.

[wallace_f]

Are most people are evil in this way? Most laugh and exhibit schadenfreude. Most of my friends who I played Simcity or GTA with were maniacal murderers in these games.

[magduf]

Most? I don't think so. But some small but significant fraction, perhaps 5% really are, and then they're able to get a good chunk of the rest of the herd to follow along with them.

[samatman]

Chickens, on the other hand, are absolute bastards to one another.

We're not much like chickens, thankfully. But we're not much like zebras either.

[magduf]

They are? They seem to live together in coops ok. Sorry, I don't know much about chickens except they live in coops (the hens do, not the roosters), and they'll eat just about anything.

[samatman]

They are.

This is where English gets the term "pecking order".

[wbronitsky]

> So, I would say the issue needs to be studied with greater depth than it sucks for the guy being bullied. What is the greater effect on the entire population?

"We should not discount something that harms 100% of people who experience it, and helps no one, because that behavior could be beneficial to our society" is an argument for eugenics as well.