To say that man is a social being is not to deny that a few individuals withdraw from society and live as hermit.  The human race could not survive on this basis, however, since its chief weapon in the struggle for existence has always been culture, and culture is uniquely a social product.  Social life is essential not only for the survival of the species but also for the maximum satisfaction of human needs and desires.  Through cooperative activity men can satisfy many needs and desires which could never be met otherwise and can satisfy most other needs much more efficiently, i.e., with greater return for less effort or other investment (1966, p.25-26).