David Sleet’s The Psychological Hive is an easy read with profound considerations. Taken at face value and a-posteriori, most of the material is, in reflection, common sense and straightforward. This small book comprises ideas and concepts that should be known to everyone working in business or the social sciences. Yet much of this may come as a surprise to many readers. What is described is reasonable, logical, and rational, yet much flies under our radar. Many of us are practical in our applications and relationships With coworkers, family, friends, and the greater community. We function based on past experiences as a sort of autopilot. Should we have issues in our private or professional life, we often search around for the cause. In Western societies, particularly in the United States, many people at several levels, both personal and professional, have come to embrace the myth of the rugged individual, the man (or woman) who can have it all and do it all. When we run out of steam, resources, or patience, we fully accept that we cannot do everything. In truth, we never could. What David has laid out in an accessible and approachable manner is the externalization in good process, what is so often internalized and frustrating. When facing a barrier, how often do we slow down and consider, unemotionally, how best to proceed? We often need help doing it our way, even when our practice will not work. Enter The Psychological Hive, a playbook for success, an owner’s manual for society—connections, teams, circles, groups, all ideas that mean similar things.
The reality is that these terms are near-universal, and that should tell us that we humans are not so very different. As social mammals, we are most potent and successful when working together towards a common goal. The economist Adam Smith proposed that individuals make choices that they believe will create the maximum value of an outcome given the constraints; further, individuals’ objectives will serve their self-interest. However, Nobel Prize winner John Forbes Nash discovered that society progresses when people do what is best for themselves, accurately, but only in the collective framework. Unlike in sporting events or zero-sum games, society runs smoothest. It achieves the highest progress and satisfaction levels when group members do what is best for themselves and the group. This way, individuals are not pitted against each other in the daily grind of life. Still, they can cooperate to achieve an agreed-upon goal. While politicians and social engineers would have you accept that resources are so limited that it is every man for himself (or woman), this false reality often pits individuals against each other, making it
challenging to work collectively. The psychological hive demonstrates that this narrative could be more beneficial. I recommend this for anyone in the health-related field, parents, or anyone wishing to understand the process of society.

W. Sumner Davis, Ph.D., Ph. D(c), Th.D., M.P.H, M. Scs, M.H.A, M.S., M.Sc., M.S.H.E.P, M.T.S, M.Div, M.CAS, CAS, CAS, ASTMH, RASC, RSPH
Clinical Epidemiologist, Medical Psychologist, Visiting Professor, and Author