Comment by cousin_it

General rule: work spent on getting better at a zero-sum game is valuable to the player doing it, but if all players do it, the result is waste.

Example 1: companies spending on advertising to increase their share of a fixed market.

Example 2: managers hiring more people for their team to look more important within the larger company.

Example 3: if social status is determined by looking tougher than others, everyone will spend resources to look tough.

I think such waste is the main reason for failure of groups, and coordinating to prevent it is the main reason for success of groups.