The Problem With Tribalism: Michael Morris

The Problem With...

James Smith

Society & Culture

4.9 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Michael Morris joins James Smith to dismantle the popular myth that tribalism is humanity's curse. A renowned cultural psychologist and Columbia Business School professor, Morris argues that our tribal instincts aren't hardwired hatred for outsiders, they're the very adaptations that allowed humans to outcompete Neanderthals, build civilisations, and cooperate at scales no other species can match. 👁️ Try Neutonic: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith 🧪 Check your Test: https://www.manual.co/smith 📝 Business Mentoring: https://www.jamessmith.business 🏋🏼‍♂️ Online Coaching: https://www.jamessmithacademy.com He explains: ◼️ Why tribal instincts are the glue of human cooperation, not division ◼️ How the peer, hero, and ancestor instincts shape every group you join ◼️ Why dating apps and social media distort our perception of attractiveness ◼️ How cults and extremist groups exploit our conformist psychology ◼️ Why ordinary Germans went along with the Nazis — and why you probably would too Chapters: 00:00 The Myth of Hardwired Tribal Hatred 01:51 What's Actually Wrong With Tribalism 03:30 Defining Tribal Instincts Properly 05:08 The Three Waves: Peer, Hero, Ancestor 07:07 Why Humans Evolved Differently to Apes 10:17 Do Chimpanzees Have Culture? 12:02 How Culture Shapes Political Systems 15:22 The Overlooked Positives of Tribalism 19:05 The Small Tribes All Around Us 22:04 How Leaders Actually Change Culture 24:02 Ancient DNA and the Neanderthal Story 28:21 Cannibalism and Neanderthal Inbreeding 29:28 The Trolley Test of Human Decency 33:41 How Homo Sapiens Outcompeted Neanderthals 36:48 Why Groups of Humans Become Apex Predators 37:35 Modern Family Structures and Dating Apps 40:06 The Body Dysmorphia Crisis Online 44:10 Social Media as a Funhouse Mirror 45:14 James on American Political Polarisation 47:11 The Addiction of Virtue Signalling 49:19 Hot Takes and the Race for Status 51:36 Where Status Sits in Tribal Psychology 54:21 Why We Imitate Celebrities and Heroes 56:01 The Asch Experiment and Conformity 59:04 Heaven's Gate and the Mechanics of Cults 01:00:58 The Decline of Young Men's Social Groups 01:03:16 Would You Have Been a Nazi? 01:05:36 The Milgram Shock Experiment 01:06:47 Why Tribalism Is the Solution, Not the Problem 01:10:00 Where to Find Tribal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you were living in Germany in that point when you're in the military, you would have been a Nazi,
0:03.9	a people would have just done what they were told. Is that right? Most ordinary Germans were like,
0:08.2	well, everyone else seems to think it's okay, so I guess I'm okay with it. The people who are a little
0:14.0	bit antisocial, those are probably the people who didn't go along with it, but the normal people
0:19.4	are very vulnerable to getting pulled
0:21.7	into what the mainstream is doing.
0:24.1	Michael Morris is a renowned cultural psychologist and Columbia Business School professor.
0:27.9	He is best known for his research on how culture shapes decision-making and his award-winning
0:31.6	book on group identity, tribal.
0:33.6	Michael, what's the problem with tribalism?
0:35.6	Tribal psychology contributes to conflicts, but it is not true that tribal instincts are a hardwired hate for outsiders.
0:42.7	There's this myth that hate has been unleashed in the world.
0:46.5	That's nonsense.
0:47.2	We have conflicts today, but so did previous generations.
0:49.9	And it's because of our ordinary group psychology in interaction with some things in our world that are new, like social media that creates distorted signals.
0:59.0	Would it be right to assume that the political stance of a country would be down to its culture?
1:04.0	One of the arguments I might make in the book is that...
1:08.0	For those that have probably followed me for a long time on social media, you would have seen the books that we'd have to market and promote to become a three times number one best selling author.
1:15.6	The fitness business with over 125,000 people go through it, New Tonic, which has recently raised a $20 million evaluation.
1:22.5	I've had to be very much involved in marketing online using social media.
1:25.7	And for that reason, I now share the skills and expertise and experiences with other people so whether you're an accountant a personal trainer a physio or someone looking to build a personal brand online I now help people do it rather than wasting your time during this podcast tell you more about it I just ask at some point you either go to james smith.business the website to check out my business mentorship or go to my YouTube James smith business or my Instagram James Swift Business. Listen to the things that I'm saying. Check out some of my content
1:48.0	and see if it vibes with you. Okay, that's enough of your time. Let's get back to the episode.
	...

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