# The In-Group By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-09-06 Almost any collection of humans can be broken down into two groups: the “in group” and “the outcasts.” Both groups serve a function. The in-group is the favorite and receives almost all the positive attention. The outcasts are often used as examples of what not to be like within the organization. The outcasts are the ones who offer a critique of the status quo. Those within the in-group rarely offer such critiques. Those in the in-group benefit from the status quo; they see it as their pathway to advancement. They might not like the status quo but benefit from its enactment. The outcasts might also benefit from the status quo, but the benefit isn’t enough for their silence and support. Outcasts are willing to risk whatever benefits they receive from how things are for something better. It is worth noting that this “something better” might not make their situation materially better. It might be something more abstract. They might be looking for something that is more just for all. But under such a more just organization, there would still be an in-group and a group of outcasts. This time, the outcasts would be the ones saying how all this “accommodation” has ruined the organization and that it was “better” when a focus only on “merit” resulted in the outcome they prefer. And so it goes. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Organization]] [[Status Quo]] [[Critique]] [[Cycles]]