December 7, 2024 • 1hr 38min
#874 - Michael Morris - Why Are We More Divided Than Ever?
Modern Wisdom
Key Takeaways
- Tribalism evolved as an adaptive trait that enabled humans to live in large collaborative groups united by shared culture
- Three key tribal instincts:
- Peer instinct - conformity and desire to mesh with the group
- Hero instinct - motivation to contribute and gain status
- Ancestor instinct - urge to maintain traditions and connect to the past
- Modern political tribalism stems more from conformity to ideologically isolated groups rather than innate hostility to outsiders
- Language and accent are more fundamental tribal markers than race or appearance
- Solutions to tribal conflicts should focus on creating shared experiences and finding common ground rather than confronting differences directly
Introduction
Michael Morris is a professor of cultural psychology at Columbia University who studies tribalism and group psychology. In this episode, he challenges the common narrative that tribalism is primarily about hostility toward outsiders, arguing instead that tribal psychology evolved to enable cooperation and culture sharing within groups. The discussion explores how tribal instincts manifest in modern society and how understanding their true nature can help address political polarization and social conflicts.
Topics Discussed
The Evolution and Nature of Tribalism (4:25)
Morris explains how tribalism evolved as an adaptive trait that enabled humans to live in culture-sharing groups larger than other primates could maintain. Unlike chimpanzee troops that fragment when they exceed 50 individuals, humans developed psychological adaptations that allowed for larger-scale cooperation.
- Culture is fundamental to tribalism - it's not just about group identity but shared ways of living
- Tribal instincts enabled most human achievements rather than being primarily about conflict
- "Tribalism is what got us out of the Stone Age" - Michael Morris
- The common narrative of "toxic tribalism" oversimplifies and mischaracterizes these adaptive traits
The Three Tribal Instincts (33:18)
Morris outlines three key tribal instincts that evolved sequentially and serve different functions in enabling group cooperation:
1. Peer Instinct- Drives conformity and unconscious learning of group norms
- Enables seamless coordination in group activities
- Can be seen in phenomena like code-switching between different social contexts
- At its best in team coordination, at its worst in suppressing valid concerns to maintain group harmony
- Motivation to contribute to the group and gain status through prosocial behavior
- Emerged around time of H**o heidelbergensis (~500,000 years ago)
- Drives innovation through status-seeking and emulation of successful individuals
- Balanced between individual achievement and group benefit
- Most recently evolved adaptation
- Urge to maintain and transmit cultural traditions
- Enables preservation of adaptive knowledge across generations
- Manifests in reverence for past practices and cultural artifacts
Modern Political Tribalism (17:09)
Morris discusses how modern political polarization stems from changes in how we live and consume information rather than from innate tribal hostility:
- Residential sorting has created ideologically homogeneous communities
- Media fragmentation enables people to consume only news that confirms their existing views
- Social media amplifies tribal signaling and reduces costs of virtue signaling
- "Two generations ago, my parents didn't know whether their neighbors were Democrats or Republicans" - Michael Morris
Language and Cultural Markers (30:56)
Research shows that language and cultural practices are more fundamental tribal markers than physical appearance:
- Infants show preferences for their mother's dialect before developing racial awareness
- Language differences more salient in many conflicts than racial differences
- Cultural practices like food preferences become early markers of group identity
- Race becomes significant mainly in societies where it correlates with cultural groups
Cults and Group Psychology (1:19:37)
Morris explains how cults exploit natural tribal psychology:
- Network isolation - separating people from existing social connections
- Love bombing - intense positive attention from group members
- Ceremonies - synchronized activities that reduce individual self-consciousness
- Status monopoly - ensuring cult leaders are only source of social validation
Solutions to Tribal Conflicts (1:32:06)
Morris discusses effective approaches to reducing tribal tensions:
- Focus on shared interests rather than confronting differences directly
- Programs like "Coffee Party USA" more effective than explicit political dialogues
- Breaking out of ideological bubbles through diverse social connections
- Using shared history to create broader group identities
- "The mystic chords of memory will yet swell the chorus of the Union" - Abraham Lincoln (quoted by Morris)
Conclusion
Morris presents a compelling alternative to common narratives about tribalism, arguing that understanding its true nature as an adaptive trait for cooperation rather than conflict is crucial for addressing modern social divisions. Rather than being doomed by our tribal psychology, we can work with these instincts to build broader connections and reduce polarization. The solution lies not in suppressing tribal instincts but in creating conditions where they can serve their original function of enabling cooperation and cultural transmission across larger groups.
The discussion suggests that modern political tribalism is more a product of recent social and technological changes than an inevitable expression of human nature. By understanding how tribal psychology actually works, we can develop more effective approaches to reducing social conflicts and building broader cooperation.