Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup: Difference between revisions

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''The more people that work on something, the less likely they are to succeed.''

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A good example is in Superhero stories, wherein a singular villain may be a match for an entire ''team'' of superheroes, but if said villain joins a group of villains, suddenly they lose to just one of them. Similarly, a villain may be taking down entire groups of superheroes, but when one hero steps out to take them on alone, watch out. Of course, villain team-ups are also prone to a [[Chronic Backstabbing Disorder|different problem entirely]].

May be [[Truth in Television]]-sometimes too many people working on a project results in nothing getting done, possibly because everyone thinks someone else will do it, or because of conflicts over direction (a phenomenon known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_Law_of_Triviality Parkinson's Law of Triviality]). This can even be seen on Internet forums, where the more people that engage in an argument, the less reasonable the conversation generally becomes ([[~~Godwins~~ Law|Nazis or otherwise]]).

May be [[Truth in Television]]-sometimes too many people working on a project results in nothing getting done, possibly because everyone thinks someone else will do it, or because of conflicts over direction (a phenomenon known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_Law_of_Triviality Parkinson's Law of Triviality]). This can even be seen on Internet forums, where the more people that engage in an argument, the less reasonable the conversation generally becomes ([[Godwin's Law|Nazis or otherwise]]).

This is the super trope of several other rules, notably [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]], which applies this principle to ninjas and other supposedly-elite fighters, and [[Conservation of Competence]], which applies this to intelligence in evil structures. Possibly related to, or even caused by, [[~~Sturgeons~~ Law]]. [[Executive Meddling]] is often a good example of this trope in action. Contrast [[More Dakka]] and its related tropes, where more cooks are seen to make the soup better in any case.

This is the super trope of several other rules, notably [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]], which applies this principle to ninjas and other supposedly-elite fighters, and [[Conservation of Competence]], which applies this to intelligence in evil structures. Possibly related to, or even caused by, [[Sturgeon's Law]]. [[Executive Meddling]] is often a good example of this trope in action. Contrast [[More Dakka]] and its related tropes, where more cooks are seen to make the soup better in any case.

Also note that this can specifically be invoked as [[An Aesop]], generally when something straightforward starts to involve too many people and therefore ends up [[A Simple Plan]]. As [[An Aesop]], it contrasts well with [[Stone Soup]]. In almost all cases, it ends up being a cause of [[Stop Helping Me]].

Also note that this can specifically be invoked as [[An Aesop]], generally when something straightforward starts to involve too many people and therefore ends up [[A Simple Plan]]. As [[An Aesop]], it contrasts well with [[Stone Soup]]. In almost all cases, it ends up being a cause of [[Stop Helping Me]!]