Lone Wolf vs Swim Buddies

The other day, I read about a ‘lone wolf terrorist.’ I was confused. Once upon a time (as ‘far’ back as the ’90s), being a ‘lone wolf’ was considered ‘cool’ and ‘in’. I don’t consider acts of terrorism ‘cool’…

Searching in Google, AI Overview ‘thought’ and came up with this: refers to individuals who plan and execute violent acts independently, without direct, orders or support from an organized terrorist group. These individuals are considered a significant security threat because their isolation and lack of formal network connections make them extremely difficult for intelligence agencies to detect and prevent

I thought of the Bible verse where the second thought that God had about people was, ‘It is not good for man to be alone.’ And Ecclesiastes tells us that, ‘Two are better than one. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.’

It brought to mind the Buddy System in the Boy Scouts, which says:

Whether Scouts are hiking through the woods, heading to a merit badge station, or simply walking to the bathhouse at camp, having a buddy ensures that no youth is ever alone — and that someone is always nearby to help in an emergency.

The Buddy System isn’t just about safety — it’s also about teaching responsibility, looking out for one another, and building trust. These lessons stay with Scouts long after their time in the program.

The Navy SEALs also have their Swim Buddy. In a discussion between Jocko Willink and William McRaven (both former SEALs themselves), they said:

Having a swim buddy isn’t just about physical support during swimming or training; it extends to emotional and psychological backing in life’s turbulent moments. A swim buddy is someone you can trust implicitly, lean on during stressful times, and accept both their support and criticism gracefully. They can tell you hard truths and help keep you grounded, which is invaluable compared to only having people who constantly praise you.

Jocko offered an example from his time in the Navy SEALs: “We have something that we establish in the SEAL teams: a swim buddy…That’s really the first line of defense—who’s your partner out there, who’s your swim buddy?” A “swim buddy” is someone who you check in on and who checks in on you. It’s about building a relationship in which your buddy knows and can support you, and vice versa.

There are, of course, other views of lone wolves as a good thing: https://www.voyageurs.org/news/lone-wolf

But I think I agree with the book of Ecclesiastes, where it says, ‘There is a time for everything and to everything there is a season.’ So there’s room in the world for the lone wolves who operate well on their own for a time, and a place for teams who can get more done. But here’s a final thought:

A single Belgian draft horse can pull 8,000 pounds.

Two Belgian draft horses, trained separately, can pull 16,000 pounds together.

But two Belgian draft horses trained together?

They can pull over 24,000 pounds.

That’s 3X what one horse can do alone.