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 build a modified version to demonstrate empathy. Imagine there is a trolley carrying all sorts of things toward someone we care deeply about. There is a switch that allows us to control whether the trolley reaches 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 divert it. 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, even 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.

The trouble with tribalism though is that it 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 with biases so that it’s difficult 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 in 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 essential, core source of all historical human conflict (obviously excluding individual 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 to watch in satisfaction as they “get what they deserve”. This is a part of evolved human behavior, but is a great source of human suffering, pain and stands in opposition to overall human well-being and thriving.

The only solution to this dilemma, as a human family, is to become better connected and communicative and to fundamentally see everyone, all of humanity, as One Tribe.

Then, and only then, will the arrows of empathy operate correctly toward everyone.