Tribalism for Dummies

Tribalism is a word that describes a way of thinking or behaving in which people feel a strong loyalty and connection to a particular group, like a tribe. It's like when you feel a strong connection to your family or your friends, and you want to protect and support them. In tribalism, that feeling of loyalty and connection extends to a larger group, like a community, a nation, or even a sports team. It's like being part of a big family where everyone looks out for each other.

When people have a strong sense of tribalism, they often think that their group is better than other groups. It's like when you and your classmates cheer for your school during a soccer game and want to win against another school. You feel a strong connection to your school, so you want to support and defend it. But sometimes, this strong loyalty can lead to problems if it makes people not like or disrespect other groups. It's like when two sports teams have a fight on the field because they think their tribe is better than the other one.

Tribalism can also be seen in the way people have different opinions and beliefs. Some people might strongly believe in certain ideas or values, and they only want to be around people who also believe the same things. It's like when you have a favorite video game and you only want to play with other people who like that game too. This can make it hard for people with different ideas to get along and work together. It's like when kids at school refuse to play with someone or be their friend just because they're not part of their group or don't like the same things.

So, to put it simply, tribalism means having a strong sense of loyalty and connection to a group, and sometimes thinking that your group is better than others. It can show up in how we support our family, friends, community, or even a sports team. But we need to be careful that tribalism doesn't make us dislike or disrespect other groups, or stop us from being open to different ideas and working together with others.