The tribal nature of man.
Humans in general are tribal creatures, as we evolved, we learned to rely on each other, early man lived and died in groups. Throughout human history people have come together to form groups based on several factors. in times past it was largely based on family ties, proximity to one another and for survival, and this is still the case for many groups.
You can see this in modern society on all levels, sports teams, political and religious beliefs, work and friendship groups. Mostly it all boils down to the same thing. The human desire to fit in, to belong, to find a group. This urge is understandable when you factor in our history, and I think it’s just as strong today as it was in the past. Whether it’s going down to your local stadium and cheering on your favorite sports team, or if you’re in or have been part of a military unit, some tribes and groups of people have strong bonds that can rarely be broken. Being a part of a tribe can be a great thing, it can give people purpose, value and help them find a sense of self inside the groups they choose to become a part of. The reverse can also be true, and people lose themselves and find they have quickly been caught up inside a cult or cult-like organization.
So, what is modern man’s role in the tribe of today? Maybe it’s to lead the way, to be the voice of reason in the increasingly deafening chant of crazies and looneys. Because let’s face it, there are certain groups in the world that have bonded together, they have a loud voice, but they speak of nonsense, they talk as if they have moral authority over everyone yet have no second thoughts about ruining people’s lives if they so dare to speak out against them. This is the ugly side of tribalism, when an idea is spread enough, when it sounds enough like common sense or a good, moral standpoint, enough people can get around it, stay inside an echo chamber in their own tribes and their voice becomes louder, and their actions bolder. It doesn’t seem to matter if their points devolve into raving madness. Sometime their points are indeed just, their moral ground true, but their actions are far from it, tarnishing the good that could be accomplished with shady and sometimes downright evil actions and words. Our role as men must be to stand against this form of tribalism, to be the level head, to listen, use our critical thinking to come to our own conclusions and act upon them, tribe or no tribe.
As a man I believe it’s important not to conform, to be an individual and follow your own compass, however that being said, tribalism is a part of all of us and the desire to form strong ties with the people we consider to be Kin, brothers and sisters is something we all feel. And if we can keep our cool, keep our moral compass when everyone around us is losing their heads. We can thrive, either as individuals or in groups.
Faithfully yours.
jack
The Modern Man 