Robert Shea

The key element in tragedy is that heroes and heroines are destroyed by that which appears to be their greatest strength.

Organized religion provides a model of the way all organizations, from the state down to the village garden club, end a price in terms of a member's freedom of thought and action.

To reject even one major tenet of the religion or to violate one major rule of behavior is enough to get one kicked out - or worse.

It often happens that when a person possesses a particular ability to an extraordinary degree, nature makes up for it by leaving him or her incompetent in every other department.

One simple way to keep organizations from becoming cancerous might be to rotate all jobs on a regular, frequent and mandatory basis, including the leadership positions.

Ultimately we may still ask, why can't humans design a perfect society?

Just as predatory animals follow a similar general design and behave in similar ways, so organizations, especially those in competition with one another, must follow certain design principles if they are to succeed and prevail.