Blind Tribal Loyalty
Tribes are foundational to the human experience.
We have forever organized ourselves into them.
The first human tribes were primarily a byproduct of location and kin. Those who lived near each other (and/or were related to each other) formed tribes to more effectively manage the resources necessary to support life.
As time rolled on, other social and governmental structures were established to manage resources, yet we retained our proclivity to tribes.
Among other reasons, this was because tribes continued to provide us with:
- Community
- Identity
(These are two of the three essential human needs that I’ve come to call pillars of meaning)
As the world has grown smaller through advanced communication, we’ve found ourselves forming tribes based less around location and kin, more around values and interests. The internet has allowed us to engage with like-minded peers, connect with like-minded influencers, and source news from like-minded journalists
This shift has been tremendously positive in that it has illuminated those values and interests within each of us.
It has however left us divided into echo-chambers of biased and distorted truth.
We’re experiencing the consequences of this through
- Tribal politics
- Destructive religious movements
- Insular academic research
Moreover, the overwhelming abundance of information available has left us unable to navigate reality ourselves. We’re left turning to our tribes for the truth. The resulting blind tribal loyalty has created a world of ignorance and division.
This, I believe, is one of the greatest challenges that humanity faces today.
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