Importantly, symmetry breaking not only plays a role in the way a group of individuals eats a pizza, but it also determines the patterns of behavior individuals show when they perform all kinds of tasks. For example, when two individuals are walking directly toward each other on a sidewalk, the person who moves to the left or right first defines the direction of movement for the second person. This is something that most of us have experienced in everyday life. Of course, most of us have also experienced what happens if the symmetry is not broken: an awkward back-and-forth dance as you and the approaching walker rapidly move left and right at the same time. In this situation, as in most cases of social (and individual) behavior, symmetry breaking is very important for effective organization of behavior and performance; symmetry breaking defines how individuals move together in harmony. So, understanding how symmetry breaking influences human behavior and social interactions provides deep insights into how groups of individuals share an environmental space together (such as a crosswalk, a workspace or a playground).

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