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About this quote

What does it mean?
While an individual can be foolish, collective action often amplifies foolishness due to coordination failures or shared ignorance.
In plain terms
One person can be dumb, but a group is usually dumber.
What can you take from it?
Teamwork can amplify individual errors into collective failures.

Where it applies

  • organizational failures
  • mob mentality
  • project delays

Putting it to work

  • checking group decisions
  • valuing individual input

Questions to consider

  • When does collaboration fail?
  • How do you spot groupthink?

Another view

It overlooks how teamwork can also solve problems individuals cannot.

More from Edward Abbey

  1. My job is to save the fucking wilderness. I don't know anything else worth saving.

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  2. Heaven is home. Utopia is here. Nirvana is now.

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  3. We're all undesirable elements from somebody's point of view.

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