Some fun biological food for thought:
We might like to think of certain species like bees or ants as epitomizing cooperation and harmony (that’s why we call them ‘social’ insects). We might even think humans should imitate them a bit more in trying to work together. But according to E. O. Wilson, this is a mistake of judgment:
The spectacle of the weaver ants, their colonies locked in chronic border skirmishes like so many Italian city-states, exemplifies a condition found throughout the social insects. Ants in particular are arguably the most aggressive and warlike of all animals. They far exceed human beings in organized nastiness; our species is by comparison gentle and sweet-tempered. The foreign policy aim of ants can be summed up as follows: restless aggression, territorial conquest, and genocidal annihilation of neighboring colonies whenever possible. If ants had nuclear weapons, they would probably end the world in a week.
Holldobler and Wilson (1994): Journey to the ants: a story of scientific exploration.
