Chapter Ten: The Hive Switch Summary and Analysis

William McNeill was drafted into the Army in 1941. He later became a renowned historian and felt that his experience in the army with basic training - the constant drilling and marching formations - was the key innovation of the great armies of Greece, Rome and Europe. While he marched with his fellow soldiers, he felt a comfort and a strange sense of being larger than he was. McNeill's studies led him to believe that soldiers who "die for their country" are actually dying for their fellow comrades. Like bees, man is able to lose himself in the "hive" and have a one for all and all for one mind set. Haidt refers to this ability as the "hive switch" which is an adaptation on the individual level that makes the group more effective...