TERRITORY VERSUS HIERARCHY
I
n the animal kingdom, individuals define themselves in
one of two ways—by their rank within a hierarchy (a
hen in a pecking order, a wolf in a pack) or by their connec-
tion to a territory (a home base, a hunting ground, a turf).
This is how individuals—humans as well as animals—
achieve psychological security. They know where they stand.
The world makes sense.
Of the two orientations, the hierarchical seems to be the
default setting. It's the one that kicks in automatically when
we're kids. We run naturally in packs and cliques; without
thinking about it, we know who's the top dog and who's the
underdog. And we know our own place. We define ourselves,
instinctively it seems, by our position within the schoolyard,
the gang, the club.
It's only later in life, usually after a stern education in
the university of hard knocks, that we begin to explore
the territorial alternative.
For some of us, this saves our lives.
STEVEN PRESSFIELD