Isn’t the same bases as in any relations (: cooperation, game [playing], membership, association, participation) that one considers when joining or leaving a relation, benefits and costs (direct, indirect, tangible, intangible, to oneself, to one’s affiliates [: family, friends, community, country, humanity - in that order?], expected [whether based on past experiences or cultural norms], hope [random, gamble,…], …)?

One will always weave calculatedly or haphazardly (in optimization terminology greedy or random walk) along the course (process, path, plan, way). And at times, one will break a rule (mutate, differ, innovate) and (may) start a trend (new way, norm, culture, science,…).

What do you think of this pattern recognition that one looks at a tree and sees the forest behind it. ;-)