There is a concept called
Dunbar's Number which suggests that a human can handle about 150 stable relationships. I would guess that a community that developed over time could be stable if it was a bit larger, since norms of family ties and esteem of elders could help tie it together, and you rely on other people's relationships as well. When people come in to form a group, unless there is really intentional work, it is very hard to maintain cohesion for long. Group dynamics are part of what I work with, and you'd be shocked at how some people react when forced into a group situation, even if its people they know and otherwise respect. With no Elder or other guide, you end up with an alpha taking over leadership, but others either trying to undermine them or suck up. It happens with grade school kids, and it happens with adults. Since TV Reality is an artificial situation, it adds to the bickering. That sort of behavior doesn't work in real survival as it causes people to die. In a non-survival situation, it means that you have a group that is not functional. Humans need hierarchy, and that takes time to work out. Even if you on the bottom of the food chain, you know where you are, and the more secure that knowledge is, the less stress you have. Its odd, if you can make all your choices, or none of them, you can deal with that. If you know which choices are yours and which are not, again, not bad. Its when you have no day to day control of which choices you get to make that you are under the most stress.
There was some interesting research into Inuit tribes and their apparent lack of anger. But its not that at all, its more of a case of laugh to keep from crying, because they lived so close to the edge that to be excluded was death, conflict was death, social harmony was survival. For other tribes there could be ritualized exile, or combat of honor, and the like, but it requires a surplus of time and resources.
I think Justin's big advantage is that he's used to being alone in his own head a lot, even if he was physically near other people. And that comes from his particular career path. When I worked north of Fort Mac on seismic sites I'd go weeks without a face to face "social" conversation. Everyone else was just a voice on a radio, a map location and a check in time in a log book. There would be weeks where I couldn't make personal calls, or had limited email access. Is it truly alone? Not at all, but compared to the world we live in now where almost all of us are reachable at a moments notice? I think its knowing that the connection is there that makes all the difference. For them its knowing that all they have to do is push the button, but we are so connected in the day to day, I think it makes the temptation that much harder. Knowing when the end is makes anything more bearable. The worst weeks I had in the north were right on breakup where every morning might be another day's pay, or it might be driving south, you never knew.
Not to make generalizations, but I think one of the big mindset factors that is visible between Dave and Randy is that Dave thinks like my Dad, you do the job, because the job is there, and you do it the best you can. Randy has a much more "millennial" mindset, Why am I the one who is doing this job, and should it be me? Not that there is a right or wrong, One comes from a generation that didn't get that many choices, one from a generation who is paralyzed by too many.
I think this season is shaping up more to be about the loneliness than survival, which is very interesting to me.
