Working together to create a zombie Outpost

Question

Background

This is not about creating the perfect zombie refuge or about what items are needed to create one. Considering that zombies are killing people left and right, and the people who have watched too many zombies movies are already suspecting others - will people even be able to group together for survival ? For example, in this question the 2nd answer(which should be accepted answer according to me) one guy comments saying that everyone will be having the exact same idea ... if there is a crisis people will automatically consider helping themselves(mostly), which is problematic if there aren't enough supplies for everyone

Considering people will immediately think about going into these areas -

• Home Depot

• Gun Store

  i.e: Any place that seems perfect for defending against zombies(It may not be in reality, but for panicked people thats the only thing they can think of, and everyone is having the exact same idea)

Once every Tom,Dick and Harry start going to these areas in order to stock up on supplies they think they need, and then they see other people there as well - What would happen? Would they be able to work together or something ? Or at the very least, not kill everyone and take whatever they have ? (For this question, the zombie apocalypse has just started, the zombies are the running type (and the military is useless))

Question : Would people be able to work together, play nice and kill some zombies ?

Answer 1

It is actually the other way around. People that form well-functioning groups will survive the lone wolves by a large margin.

• If you are alone and fall down the stairs, you are dead.
• If you are alone and fall asleep, you will be robbed and/or murdered.

Etcetera. When society falls apart you need to form groups to survive. You will have more, know more, live longer... as long as the group flourishes.

From a website on real-life survival strategies:

In times of danger, many people can retreat into a defensive crouch, but "every man for himself" is a terrible strategy for post-disaster situations. Psychologists use the term "reciprocal altruism" to describe what happens when people overcome their tendency toward selfishness and work together. "We tend to extend help to others," says psychologist Andrew Shatté, one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of resilience, "on the understanding that some `other' will expend a few resources to save us." By working together, groups reduce the danger and stress to individuals. "Once their basic survival needs are met," says Shatté, "people like Vorderbruggen instinctively reach out to help the community. They are more resilient and happier with their lives for doing so."

From the book "The World Until Yesterday" by Jared Diamond on human survival without the trappings of modern society:

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence.

References:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/a4623/4331486/
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15766601-the-world-until-yesterday

Answer 2

Logically speaking, No.

Assuming that the average person is able to fend for themselves, there is no good reason to band together. All it means is more mouths to feed but a lack in efficiency increase. But as we all know, humans are social creatures. A complete loner would become (shocker) lonely and maybe even depressed.

Plus there's that whole morality argument, that if given the choice between good and evil(help the mother of 3 or kill her and her kids for their food), the average person will do the right thing. So from a simply mathematical perspective, there is no reason why people who can survive on their own would band together but in reality they would.

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to the point above.

1. People band together, not to defend against zombies, but to raid and kill others for their supplies.
2. People band together to defend against, not the undead but the raiders mentioned above.
3. The zombies are too powerful to reliably defend against alone (like World War Z).
4. People band together for mutual skills. A prime example is Eugene in the Walking Dead; he has no physical skills, but he is very smart so it benefits less intelligent people (Abraham) to join with him.