I chose the playground metaphor because it shows negotiation without rules. I was trying to show that this negotiation is a societal building block.
Then I tried to show how violence undermines stability, and stability is necessary for more leverage. That stable, modern hierarchies are that way because they allow further leverage, more levels of leadership, and that this is exponential.
We all in modern society start out in minor roles at the bottom of whatever hierarchy we join. At the bottom, there is very little or no negotiation. As you gain/demonstrate skills and talents, you start to move up the ladder. How you move and where, are parts of your negotiation. It doesn't matter what the rules are, or how complex the society us, there will always be this negotiation, and it will be between you and your superiors, then you and your peers, and finally between you and your subordinates. The spread between your rewards from above, minus the coats of your rewards to your team, and any reserve to resolve issues with peers is your cut. That is your rights/responsibilities/compensation.
In well established, traditional hierarchies, the spread is tighter, and movement/promotion more scheduled/automatic. In less established hierarchies, there are wider spreads, and movement/promotion is negotiated as well.
Well, yes, these "lone human" or desert island scenarios are largely just theoretical constructs that never existed except as exceptions to the rule, lone wolf/survivor Hollywood movies notwithstanding. Human beings have always existed in communities as long as there have been humans.
I wasn't speaking of "lone human desert island scenarios". Lone humans engaged in negotiations, have probably been alone too long...
However, the vast majority of humans and human history was ALL about these negotiations. Most of the time it was a leader, and his family running their little fiefdom as they saw fit, and kicking taxes up the ladder. Your choices were to fit where they wanted you to, maybe fit where you wanted to, or failing that, flee or stage a coup, entering into negotiations with your lord's master and his household and subjects.
Modern society has enabled more extensive hierarchies by having streamlined negotiated positions. So much so that often, people will move thru multiple positions without negotiations worthy of the word, but packaging a deal doesn't change the fact that it is a deal.
As a good friend put it, "Everyone makes their own deal, even if it is accepting a prewritten contract, you chose it." He was talking about the different ways guys were treated at work in a union job, where we were all theoretically equals, but as with all equality, some were more equal.