The Myth of Collaboration: Historical Military Research Reveals Most People Avoid Direct Engagement
By
mitchbob
Plain bagel done well. Pleasantly substantive.
Summary
The article critiques the concept of 'collaboration' as overused and meaningless in modern business contexts, using historical military research as a foundation. It references S.L.A. Marshall's 1947 study 'Men Against Fire' which found that only 15-20% of riflemen in active combat actually fired their weapons, suggesting most people avoid direct engagement even in life-or-death situations. The author argues that true collaboration is rare and that the term has been diluted into corporate jargon that often masks individual disengagement and avoidance of responsibility.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledMarshall's research showed that just 15-20% of riflemen in active combat positions ever fired their weapons - most kept their heads down.
The Battle of the Bulge was a doomed campaign and a doomed gamble from a doomed regime, but its brutality was a true second test of the US Army on the Western Front.
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In 1944, the Wehrmacht launched into Hitler's last ditch effort to save the Third Reich.
They moved when they w
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