# Strikeouts are Fascist By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2025-01-02 In the movie _Bull Durham_ (1988), veteran catcher Crash Davis gives some sage advice to rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh: “Don’t try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they’re fascist…throw some ground balls, it’s more democratic.” There's wisdom in these words. Domination can be dull, while a democratic collective is far more engaging and unpredictable. In the professional world, there's often a focus on outperforming competitors rather than collaborating with them. This mindset is understandable, as individual performance is what gets recognized and rewarded in organizations. Yet, however rational this focus may seem, it doesn’t necessarily lead to fulfillment. Paradoxically, it might even hinder it. Work thrives on variety—not just in its content but also in one’s approach. A well-rounded work experience offers opportunities for both individual and collective contributions. In baseball, strikes are seen as the pinnacle of a pitcher's performance. But Crash Davis urges us to reconsider that valuation. We should extend this reevaluation to all societal valuations because many of them might be anti-democratic. Our organizations have almost exhausted the benefits derived from individuality. For an organization to truly have a culture, there must be solidarity. Executives aiming for a coherent and positive work culture need to throw more ground balls—embrace the democratic approach over the fascist strikeout mentality. #### Related Items [[Collaboration]] [[Teams]] [[Individuals]] [[Work]] [[Culture]] [[Democracy]] [[Solidarity]] [[Metaphors]] [[Competition]]