Can you work alone or do you need the power of a group to protect you?

I was reading the comments a href=”http://drhelen.blogspot.com/2010/03/we-are-forcing-them-to-quantify-their.html#466517166624973353″in the previous post/a and saw one by Kevin M. that got me thinking about working alone vs. working in a team, and which one is better. Kevin M says:br /br /blockquoteIf I had kids, I’d tell them the smartest thing they could do is avoid working in large groups or corporations. Teamwork is horsesh*t today; you have more to worry about your coworkers than someone in a dark alley. Michael Crichton called it perfectly in his novel Disclosure.br /br /If I were to use a word to characterize the next 30 years of American economics, it would be “mercenary.” Our kids are going to have to learn to look out for themselves more than our parents ever did. It’s getting predatory out there./blockquotebr /br /As a psychologist, many of my classes and graduate work focused on helping people learn to be more social with others. Though in one more enlightened class at the New School for Social Research, we debated whether man was really a social animal or not. Was it okay to be a hermit? Honestly, in today’s world, I am thinking the answer might be “yes.” Or at least working independently if you are the type who does well with that. br /br /The problem is, that on an individual level, working alone or with just a few trusted others can be more rewarding and profitable, but on the other hand, big groups seem to have more power and often take over small groups of people and render them powerless. For example, look at what is happening to small business today. They are being regulated and taxed to death, while bigger groups such as big business and government work together to screw them. The Tea Parties are a way for disparate small groups of people to come together into a bigger group that has more power. I think people can do okay on an individual level but the society will lose out if we all keep to ourselves. br /br /What do you think, can you make it okay in today’s world working alone completely or in a small group or do you think it necessary to bond with, and work with others to keep from losing our rights and freedoms?