In too many ways we behave like sheep, ever trying to fit in, to smooth over any quirkiness which could make us stand out from the flock. Although we claim to be critical thinkers, we've largely bought into the teamplayer cult with almost no resistance. We've failed to verbalize the suspicion that teamplayermania, propagated as it often is by institutions, may serve the needs of its propagators far more than those of the individuals coerced into its clutches. When people work together, they can accomplish great things. Families, and communities could not succeed without a basic level of cooperation.
Groups frequently achieve results which surpass the sum of each individual contribution.
Solutions to increasingly complex social and technological problems almost always rely on groups of specialists putting their heads together. Yet there comes a point when being a teamplayer goes beyond all of that. It's when success on the job or in society at large demands not only measurable performance, but also the sacrifice substantial portions of one's unique identity. Too much teamplay can make you into a bland and passionless drone, only comfortable around unimaginative and lily-livered people. This is why it's so important to not fully embrace it.