TRIBALISM

Humans have always lived in groups.
It comes more naturally to us than any other way of life.

For the overwhelming majority of our time on this planet, the tribe was the only form of human society.Tribalism is part of our evolutionary DNA.

America has devolved into two tribes, each of which finds the views of the other tribe unacceptable and often incomprehensible. In each tribe, members often place their loyalty to the tribe above their loyalty to the country. Members of both tribes see current events through a prism that advances not the country’s interests but their own and those of their tribe.

Each tribe dominates a major political party and both are moving further apart.Since 2004, the most populous urban counties have moved toward Democrats while rural counties have shifted toward Republicans.

Scientists call any group that people feel a part of an “in-group” and any group that excludes them an “out-group.” We think differently about those in our “in-group” than we do about those in an “out-group.” We also behave differently toward members of each group. We do this unconsciously, whether or not we intend to discriminate between the groups.

We all belong to many groups. The same person may think of themself as a woman, a business owner, a mother, or a Mexican, depending on what is most relevant at the time. Our self-identification is shifting and situational.

Advertisers are keenly aware of this dynamic. That’s why companies like Apple spend hundreds of millions on advertising campaigns that attempt to position the Apple “in-group” as smart, sexy and successful.

Once we think of ourselves as belonging to a certain group (a member of an exclusive country club, a member of management, a teacher, a Democrat or a Republican), the views of others in the group begin to influence our thinking and the way we see the world. Psychologists refer to these views as “group norms.”

Our “in-groups” are, by definition, groups whose members we perceive as having a commonality of interest with us. This shared identity causes us to see our fate as being tied to the fate of our “in-group.”

We see the group’s successes and
failures as tied to our own.

One of the consequences of tribalism is that you don’t actually have to think very much. All you need to know on any given subject is which side you’re on. You pick up signals from everyone around you. You eventually narrow your acquaintances to those who will reinforce your worldview.

Research suggests that we have a natural tendency to prefer those in our “in-group.” Studies show that common group membership will even be more important to us than personal attributes. We may choose to be friends with someone who we dislike simply because they are a group member, while rejecting someone else we like more because they are not a group member.

We may evaluate the work of an “in-group” member more favorably than the work of an “out-group” member, even while we believe we are being objective. We treat our “in-groups” and our “out-groups” differently, whether or not we consciously intend to do so or recognize that we are doing so.

Remarkably, research has shown that it is not even necessary that you share any characteristics with your fellow “in-group” members, or even for you to have met the other group members.

Simply knowing that you belong to the group
triggers your “in-group” loyalty and affinity.

When people find it advantageous to work together, the dynamic changes. The more people find it advantageous to work together the less they will discriminate against each other.

Understanding these influences can help you to identify them and address them more effectively. Valuing your unique identity—distinct from any group—being immune from labels, thinking for yourself and considering all views are the antidotes to tribalism.

Dissent from your own group is difficult. Appreciating the views of those in other tribes is even harder. It takes effort, imagination and openness. It may even require the occasional embrace of blasphemy. It may also require forgiveness and magnanimity.

The solutions to our problems as a society do not reside in either tribe. They reside in both tribes and in the space that lies between the tribes.