You Can’t Be More Than the Sum of Your Parts If You're Not in Parts

Everywhere around the world,
People are settling their scores,
Negotiating what’s next,

And, despite being billions,
Arguing mostly in pairs,
Occasionally small groups,

Out of all of which somehow
Arises the sum total
Of mass cooperation—

Coordination, warfare,
Inequality, justice,
Misery, and achievement.

Watching this, you can see why
Large organisms emerged
As multicellular heaps

And never as single-celled
Behemoths of unity.
Unity lacks emergent

Properties and behaviors,
While countless tiny quarrels
With short-term resolutions

Lead to blue whales and empires.
We’re not saying this is good.
Conquest comes from neighborhoods.