Organized Groups

            People join together and form groups to achieve a goal that would otherwise be impossible or difficult to accomplish individually. But does everyone truly benefit from pursuing a goal as a group? As stated in Mancur Olson’s book, The Logic of Collective Action, “The very fact that a goal or purpose is common to a group means that no one in the group is excluded from the benefit or satisfaction brought about by its achievement.” This means that because people within a group share the same goal, once that goal is achieved, everyone logically should benefit from it. I would agree with Olson because of this definition of what a ‘group’ is.

            In his opening paragraphs, Olson defines a group as something that benefits all individual members. To me this meant that a group couldn’t be such if it only helped to benefit a few members or a leader. The reason being that a group has to share a common goal. I don’t believe that people would join together and form groups to achieve something that they can achieve individually. By following this definition of what a group is, and understanding that a group’s goal is the same goal as every individual within that group, it is undeniable that Olson’s statement is correct. No one is excluded from a group’s accomplishment and they must all benefit.


            I chose this quote from Olson’s book because I believe in his words and his definition of what a group is. People often mistake what a true ‘group’ is. Groups do not live to serve an individuals ambition, they are there to serve everyone’s interest. This quote has helped me realize that when forming a group, it is crucial that the goal is the same, and that it benefits all within the group. If one follows this belief joining together with others and completing tasks are easy.