The Virulent Pull of Tribalism

Tribalism is everywhere, but it is poorly understood. Ayn Rand’s analysis points to the essence of this destructive phenomenon.

This essay was originally published in New Ideal on May 13, 2019.

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[SpacePatrollerLaser]

In 1977 in "Global Balkanization" Rand quoted Ira Glazer "We are trading individual rights for group shares"

[socksumi]

Tribalism appeals to people with lower intelligence. Just my subjective observation but I feel confident that it is so.

[jasonk]

It also isnt always tribalism. Ayn Rand pointed out how watergate for example was NOT an example of republicans on one side ignoring their own presidents 'wrongdoing" but pointed out media bias, -"fake news" about how the left promoted the idea that political crimes were to be seen as not crimes and deserving of sympathy and lighter sentences, in the case of theft, murder, arson etc. Then she said "why no sympathy for people guilty of eavsdropping?" She said watergate was a coup attempt against the american people as revenge against the intellectuals for rejecting their leadership"

She also specifically pointed out the same bias in their attempts to pull a Kavanaugh with Reinquist and pointing out the left wants a world with a left, and a center, with NO right of center in effect, which they are succeeding. So she acknowledges half the country in effect has no representation. It doesnt help when you have people talk about tribalism, when many on the right understand they are in this position. The left doesnt have this excuse. They dont have to fear the government literally hates their existence.(they do anyway but only because they are spoiled and always get their way)

[readtherealanthonyfaucibyr]

Tribalism has been around a long time, there was that famous study from maybe the 70s where groups of people would give a single clearly wrong answer to a question and then they'd ask the test subject last and the subject would almost always go with whatever the group consensus was, even if clearly wrong answers to obvious questions like "what's the longest line on this piece of paper?".

These days social media makes tribalism a lot worse. If you alert social media friends of a truth, people will place no value in understanding, discussing, or countering the information itself, but instead only care whether your post about it becomes popular. So rather than countering information with relevant counter-information, people who don't want to acknowledge or discuss the truth you presented might say "nobody's paying attention to you!" as if the value of the truth itself is second to popularity.

[science]

Politics now is a modern jungle. But we need facts first.

[CapriciousBlackBox]

While I acknowledge and observe tribalism in our modern discourse, this essay is predominantly a bunch assertions and mind-reading exercises. "He feels as etc. etc. etc. The author is not at all shy about generalizing (seems tribalistic to me), and personally I'd need to see some receipts for many of these claims of knowledge as to people's innermost thoughts and motivations. Again, tribalism is clearly an issue....I'm not disputing that; but even Rand's views of the people involved are highly uncharitable to say the least. Perhaps I'm not cynical enough. ;)

[tenetgg]

"Republican approval of Putin" - you totally lost me there. Lecturing against Tribalism is great, but not while spreading Tribal DNC Propaganda.