More cooperation is not always desirable across all groups.

Evidence

The dualisms inherent in social forms stem both from man’s ambivalent instinctual dispositions and from society’s need to have some ratio of discordant to harmonious tendencies in order to attain a determinate shape. Publicity and privacy, conformity and individuation, antagonism and solidarity, compliance and rebelliousness, freedom and constraint are some of the many specific sociological dualisms which Simmel finds compresent in social interaction and utilizes to analyze the structure of various social forms. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 85 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Since discord unfolds its negative, destructive character between particular individuals, we naively conclude that it must have the same effect on the total group. In reality, however, something which is negative and damaging between individuals if it is considered in isolation and as aiming in a particular direction, does not necessarily have the same effect within the total relationship of these individuals. For a very different picture emerges when we view the conflict in conjunction with other interactions not affected by it. The negative and dualistic elements play an entirely positive role in this more comprehensive picture, despite the destruction they may work on particular relations. All this is very obvious in the competition of individuals within an economic unit. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 280 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Conflict destructive at one level can integrate the larger group — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 280; High potential losses prevent cooperation from ever getting started; Societies require a mix of discord and harmony to take determinate shape — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 85 (+5 more)

Related

• Conflict destructive at one level can integrate the larger group (similarity 0.85)
• Order inside groups mirrors the same mutual-restraint mechanism as between groups (similarity 0.84)
• Societies require a mix of discord and harmony to take determinate shape (similarity 0.83)
• Social relationships are shaped by a twofold dualism (similarity 0.80)
• Individual motives become social only through forms of mutual interaction (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Societies require a mix of discord and harmony to take determinate shape #corroborates (0.80) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 85
• Conflict destructive at one level can integrate the larger group #expands (0.78) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 280
• Withholding cooperation becomes power under high interdependence #exemplifies (0.74)
• High potential losses prevent cooperation from ever getting started #exemplifies (0.72)