Across the natural world, many animals live in groups.
Cooperation is one obvious reason. Living together improves the chances of finding food, raising offspring, and defending territory.
But there is another, less comfortable reality.
When a predator attacks a herd or a flock, the risk is spread across many individuals. In some situations, survival depends on someone else being slower, weaker, or simply less fortunate. The individual may survive because the predator chooses another target.
Nature is not always fair. It is often statistical.
Human societies are not entirely different.
Within organizations, schools, companies, and even communities, people sometimes protect themselves by directing criticism or blame toward someone else. By allowing another person to become the scapegoat, they reduce the likelihood that attention will turn toward them.
Many people have experienced this firsthand.
In some cultures, standing out can increase the chance of becoming a target. Understanding social expectations and group dynamics may become an important survival skill.
My own experience overseas has often looked different.
In many Western environments, people are expected to speak up, express disagreement, and actively compete for influence. Remaining silent can mean being excluded from important decisions. People openly negotiate for better opportunities, and those who fail to advocate for themselves may instead become the ones who are overlooked or sacrificed.
The form changes, but the underlying dynamic remains surprisingly similar.
Sometimes groups preserve themselves by allowing one individual to bear the cost.
This creates an uncomfortable ethical question.
If sacrificing 30% of a group allows the remaining 70% to survive, is that decision justified? Throughout history, leaders have repeatedly faced situations where every available option carried a terrible cost.
Some leaders are admired precisely because they can make emotionally difficult decisions that maximize the survival of the larger group. Researchers have even suggested that certain personality traits associated with low emotional attachment may, in specific situations, help individuals make highly utilitarian decisions under pressure.
Nature itself often operates through the survival of the species rather than the survival of every individual.
This is why debates about sacrifice, leadership, and morality rarely have simple answers.
I understand why some people believe these decisions are unavoidable. I also understand why others see them as fundamentally wrong.
Both perspectives deserve serious consideration.
Yet after reflecting on this question for many years, I have reached a different conclusion.
I believe relying on scapegoats is one of the most dangerous strategies any group can adopt.
Not only for the individual who is sacrificed—but ultimately for the group itself.
Why?
That is what I will explore in the next article.
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