Tribalism
In modern society, it has a place.
I am a Liverpool fan. It’s a zero sum game. No other team can exist in my emotional stratosphere. I am entirely immature in that 90 minutes watching that specific football match.
In modern society, it has a place.
I am a Liverpool fan. It’s a zero sum game. No other team can exist in my emotional stratosphere. I am entirely immature in that 90 minutes watching that specific football match.
By virtue of being a Liverpool fan, I “hate” other football teams. They are the enemy, and Liverpool must win.
This is a sports ideology. Your fandom is your identity. There’s something fun about the tribalism of it. We realize it’s ridiculous and non-sports-fans struggle to understand it. But we do it because it makes us part of a community - a tribe. We connect within seconds when we meet someone who is part of that same tribe. If I meet another Liverpool fan, I have hours (if not months) of content I can speak with them about. I know we will agree on most things and compound each other’s views. By virtue of being Liverpool fans, we are “the same”.
In sports, tribalism is fun. It’s an escape.
However - It’s dangerous to apply this tribalism to other parts of life.
Politics should not be tribal.
This is a sports ideology. Your fandom is your identity. There’s something fun about the tribalism of it. We realize it’s ridiculous and non-sports-fans struggle to understand it. But we do it because it makes us part of a community - a tribe. We connect within seconds when we meet someone who is part of that same tribe. If I meet another Liverpool fan, I have hours (if not months) of content I can speak with them about. I know we will agree on most things and compound each other’s views. By virtue of being Liverpool fans, we are “the same”.
In sports, tribalism is fun. It’s an escape.
However - It’s dangerous to apply this tribalism to other parts of life.
Politics should not be tribal.
Building views about what’s best for our country or the biggest societal issues of our times should not be tribal. It should not be a zero sum game.
I don’t believe our identity should be aligned with a political party. I don’t believe it’s in any society’s best interests to view politics as an “us” vs “them” battle.
Elections should be about values and approaches to solving key societal problems; who we believe will make decisions that will benefit the population as a whole. Each party will always have extremely complex challenges to deal with. Opportunity cost of every dollar. For every dollar they spend on one issue, that’s a dollar not spent on a different issue. We have to make our choices based on the issues we value the most at the time - the problems that need to be solved in our society. Acknowledging that things will change, and we’ll have more information over time to make our next decision.
I will be a Liverpool fan even if we lose 300 games in a row, get relegated, and only sign players I dislike. It’s a marriage. I made it through the “Roy Hodgson years” - I can make it through anything. Nobody can change my mind about being a Liverpool fan.
But if we apply the same ideology to societal issues, we will not learn from each other. We will not allow ourselves to have healthy debates and consider the various sides of the biggest problems facing our country and the planet. We need to appreciate that our current views are largely influenced by our upbringing, our friendship groups, social media, the news, and possible biases.
I don’t believe our identity should be aligned with a political party. I don’t believe it’s in any society’s best interests to view politics as an “us” vs “them” battle.
Elections should be about values and approaches to solving key societal problems; who we believe will make decisions that will benefit the population as a whole. Each party will always have extremely complex challenges to deal with. Opportunity cost of every dollar. For every dollar they spend on one issue, that’s a dollar not spent on a different issue. We have to make our choices based on the issues we value the most at the time - the problems that need to be solved in our society. Acknowledging that things will change, and we’ll have more information over time to make our next decision.
I will be a Liverpool fan even if we lose 300 games in a row, get relegated, and only sign players I dislike. It’s a marriage. I made it through the “Roy Hodgson years” - I can make it through anything. Nobody can change my mind about being a Liverpool fan.
But if we apply the same ideology to societal issues, we will not learn from each other. We will not allow ourselves to have healthy debates and consider the various sides of the biggest problems facing our country and the planet. We need to appreciate that our current views are largely influenced by our upbringing, our friendship groups, social media, the news, and possible biases.
We need to challenge ourselves and allow ourselves to be challenged.
I should allow myself to change my mind on how I vote based on topics at hand, and which party will be for the greater good of the country. I should be open minded as I consider issues, and as I hear counter-arguments to my views.
Be tribal in sports. Be considered in every other part of life.
Be tribal in sports. Be considered in every other part of life.
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