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 7, 20241h 35mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: December 7, 2024
Duration: 1h 35m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

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/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Michael Morris
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Michael Morris, Why Are We More Divided Than Ever? - Michael Morris explores 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.

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