Human beings are wired to be in groups. It’s biology.

A family of three is the smallest possible group, but as families need to establish themselves they seek the larger group.

Numbers create safety.

They motivate us to get along with others.

And yet we compete with them for the resources.

Better food and access to resources gives us a better chance to survive as individuals.

So we end up seeking harmony to get along with others and seeking survival by getting ahead of others.

Having these competing wants, the group may lean more towards competition or harmony. If it does there is a high probability that the group fails. Too much harmony leads to not accomplishing much. Too much competition leads to lacking a common direction and thus not accomplishing enough of what is needed.

The solution we humans found to deal with these competing wants was to seek an authority helping the group to balance the need of getting along and the need of getting ahead. The goal is to maximize that group’s success.

Until now this authority has always been some kind of parental figure.