Why Are We More Divided Than Ever? - Michael Morris

Michael Morris is a professor of cultural psychology at Columbia University and an author. Why are humans so tribal? Despite our capacity for empathy and inclusion, why do we always gravitate toward groups of similar individuals? And is there such a thing as good tribalism? Expect to learn why tribalism exists and how it evolved in humans, why we can hate people outside of our group and why we become hostile, if the modern world has worsened tribal instincts, whether tribalism is actually a good thing for our society, why so many people identify as not the opposition instead of as for their own group and much more… - 00:00 Why Does Tribalism Exist? 07:45 Is Tribalism An ‘Us’ or ‘Them’ Thing? 12:00 How the Modern World Encourages Tribalism 20:10 Tribalism Vs Polarisation 25:01 What People Become Tribal About 33:05 The Origin of Hero Instinct 42:36 The Role of Our Inner Conscience 57:44 Why We Care About Our Ancestors 1:08:26 What Causes Tribes to Change? 1:15:02 The Psychology of Cults 1:19:14 Tribes in Times of Threat & Peace 1:34:34 Where to Find Michael - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostMichael Morrisguest

Dec 6, 20241h 35mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Tribalism Explained: Why Our ‘Us’ Instinct Beats Our ‘Them’ Hate

Michael Morris reframes tribalism as an evolutionary superpower that enabled humans to form large, culture-sharing groups, rather than as a built‑in drive to hate outsiders. He argues that most of our tribal wiring is about in‑group solidarity and coordination, with out‑group hostility emerging as a side effect under certain conditions, especially in today’s media and residential echo chambers. Morris outlines three core “tribal instincts” — peer, hero, and ancestor — and shows how each shapes conformity, status-seeking, tradition, and modern polarization. He contends that understanding these instincts offers practical ways to reduce toxic polarization without pathologizing human nature.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Tribalism is primarily about solidarity, not hatred.

Morris estimates that roughly 95% of our tribal wiring is focused on coordinating and bonding with our in‑group; hostility toward out‑groups is a secondary side effect, not the core instinct.

Three tribal instincts drive group behavior: peer, hero, and ancestor.

The peer instinct fuels conformity and coordination, the hero instinct drives status‑seeking and sacrificial contribution, and the ancestor instinct underpins tradition, myth, and reverence for the past.

Modern polarization is amplified by echo chambers, not an ancient hate drive.

Residential sorting and fragmented, partisan media created ideologically inbred environments where people unconsciously absorb narrow views, become overconfident in them, and then demonize the other side as irrational or evil.

Group identity is cued more by language and culture than race.

Research shows even infants sort people by dialect rather than skin color, and many conflicts (e.g., Israelis/Palestinians, Russians/Ukrainians) hinge on language and symbols, not visible racial differences.

Rituals and shared suffering strongly bond groups and enable courage.

Synchronous ceremonies, military drinking rituals, and painful rites of passage reduce individual self-focus, heighten unity, and make people more willing to take personal risks for their group.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Tribal instincts are not instincts for hostility. They’re instincts for solidarity.

— Michael Morris

Our view of reality is conformist, and the other side’s view of reality is conformist, but we don’t realize our own bias so their bias looks so extreme to us.

— Michael Morris

Babies are not racist. They don’t judge you based on your race. But they already judge you based on your accent and on what you eat.

— Michael Morris

Pro‑social behavior is socially rewarded, but evolution didn’t just wire us to be calculating. It also wired us to care about esteem as an end in itself.

— Michael Morris

Tribal psychology is what made us human and underlies all of our proudest accomplishments. It goes awry sometimes, like every instinct does.

— Michael Morris

Evolutionary origins and adaptive function of tribalismDistinction between in‑group solidarity and out‑group hostilityThree core tribal instincts: peer, hero, and ancestorModern political polarization and media/residential sortingLanguage, accents, and cultural markers as group boundariesRituals, myth, tradition, and the ancestor instinctPractical levers for depolarization and healthier group relations

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