One cynic’s view: Tribalism is just an extension of (or maybe an evolved tactic in support of) individualism. The root cause is the fact that persons want things which conflict with other persons’ wants. Combine this with your point III that most humans seek a sense of belonging, which is easier to find in shared conflict than otherwise.
I’m not sure I’m ready to push for reduction in individuality or distinctness of persons. I’m also not sure that reduction in tribalism and the desire for group-solidarity is possible without such a deep change in the definition of human.
It _may_ be feasible to keep the same level (or even increase) tribalism, but redirect it so that tribes are larger and more inclusive, and more importantly so that enemies are more abstract and less personal (not “my tribe vs other tribes” but “my tribes vs the un-feeling universe”). Uniting to eradicate hunger, or to build a better smartphone, or whatever, seems more likely to succeed than trying not to unite in the first place.
One cynic’s view: Tribalism is just an extension of (or maybe an evolved tactic in support of) individualism. The root cause is the fact that persons want things which conflict with other persons’ wants. Combine this with your point III that most humans seek a sense of belonging, which is easier to find in shared conflict than otherwise.
I’m not sure I’m ready to push for reduction in individuality or distinctness of persons. I’m also not sure that reduction in tribalism and the desire for group-solidarity is possible without such a deep change in the definition of human.
It _may_ be feasible to keep the same level (or even increase) tribalism, but redirect it so that tribes are larger and more inclusive, and more importantly so that enemies are more abstract and less personal (not “my tribe vs other tribes” but “my tribes vs the un-feeling universe”). Uniting to eradicate hunger, or to build a better smartphone, or whatever, seems more likely to succeed than trying not to unite in the first place.