This paper is a brief summary of my thoughts on Empathy and Tribalism and how the two interrelate.

First, a quick overview of Empathy -

Empathy is an evolved human behavior, an evolved complex in the human mind. As humans navigate the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and failures of life they experience a broad range of emotions; happiness and sadness, joy and suffering and pain, need and want, elation and satisfaction, fear and calm.

Empathy is an innate ability to connect with another person, and see these emotions and feelings in others and share in them. When we are empathically connected with someone, if something good happens to them that brings them joy or happiness, we share in the joy and happiness. In the same way, if they are suffering, perhaps due to sickness or loss we share in the suffering and pain.

In psychology there is a famous “trolley problem” and we can use a modified version of it to demonstrate empathy. Image there is a trolley carrying all sorts of things toward someone we care deeply about. There is a switch that allows us to control if the trolley arrives to the person or is diverted. If the trolley brings happiness, rainbows, butterflies and good things to the person, we will watch with joy as it goes by, allowing our loved one to experience those things. But if it brings suffering or pain or disappointment we will throw the switch to keep these things from going on. This is empathy. Without it, we will not care what the trolley brings, but with it, we will throw the switch as if we ourselves were on the receiving end.

Next, a brief summary of Tribalism -

Tribalism is also an evolved human behavior, an evolved complex in the human mind, that causes people to form strong in-group affinity bonds. It is analogous to herd and pack instincts in the animal kingdom. It was and is essential for human evolution and survival. Individually, we are weak and insignificant, but collectively, when we work together efficiently and share resources we become incredibly powerful and survival becomes much easier, possible. Tribalism is the instinct that creates this. Tribalism appears in families and clans, in sports teams and brands, in religion and nationalism and politics. It is one of the most potent and powerful motivating factors in human psychology. When we are engaged in a well organized and strong tribe we feel connected and powerful and at peace. When we are disconnected or cast out we feel lonely and anxious and afraid.

Tribalism often inherently creates out-tribes; another group of people that is seen as the rival or enemy of the tribe. The human mind is evolved to make it extremely difficult or even impossible to grasp the truth of the nature of the out tribe, with strong biases toward the in-tribe as “the good guys” and the out-tribe as “the bad guys”. But within the out tribe, the view is exactly the same and mirrored in reverse, we are the good guys and they are the bad guys.

This is the great source of all human conflict.

And here is the key point; when an individual or group is in the out-tribe, the arrows of empathy invert. Now, as the trolley carries good things to a member of the out-tribe, we tend to want to throw the switch to prevent it from reaching them. And when bad things are carried past, our natural tendency is watch in satisfaction as they “get what they deserve”. This is a part of evolved human behavior, but is the great source of human suffering, pain and the opposition to overall human well-being and thriving.

The solution to this dilemma, as a human family, is to become better connected and communicative and to see everyone, all of humanity, as One Tribe. Then the arrows of empathy will always operate correctly towards everyone.