What is your opinion on Tribalism?

[Antibush5]

I have a friend who thinks that humans are naturally suited to live in tribes and clans. Nations should be collections of tribes, what do you think of the idea?

 

[dust1n]

Well, that life style doesn't produce enough food to support enough in that fashion. Eventually 90% of the population would die off, mostly from starvation. Either way, I certainly wouldn't agree to it, even if we were 'naturally suited'... who cares? I'm naturally suited to **** myself and **** my pants. But we have brains so, we can do much cooler things than argue about tribal nonsense for eons.

 

[not nom]

As man advances in civilisation, and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being once reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races. If, indeed, such men are separated from him by great differences in appearance or habits, experience unfortunately shews us how long it is, before we look at them as our fellow-creatures. [...] This virtue, one of the noblest with which man is endowed, seems to arise incidentally from our sympathies becoming more tender and more widely diffused, until they are extended to all sentient beings. As soon as this virtue is honoured and practised by some few men, it spreads through instruction and example to the young, and eventually becomes incorporated in public opinion.​

-- Charles Darwin, "The Descent of Man"

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

As man advances in civilisation, and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members of the same nation, though personally unknown to him. This point being once reached, there is only an artificial barrier to prevent his sympathies extending to the men of all nations and races. If, indeed, such men are separated from him by great differences in appearance or habits, experience unfortunately shews us how long it is, before we look at them as our fellow-creatures. [...] This virtue, one of the noblest with which man is endowed, seems to arise incidentally from our sympathies becoming more tender and more widely diffused, until they are extended to all sentient beings. As soon as this virtue is honoured and practised by some few men, it spreads through instruction and example to the young, and eventually becomes incorporated in public opinion.
​

-- Charles Darwin, "The Descent of Man"

And that is the truth of it

The links between family, tribe, state and country are very weak and negotiable.
Only the weakest members see the links as strong, because they have much to gain and little to offer.

Collective strength is always greater than the individual.
Be it family,tribe, union, or international group membership.
However the larger the group the smaller the individual voice.
Collective voice favours the lowest common denominator,
so it requires a controlling structure to moderate and make direction effective.
However it is never even comes close to the optimum possible.

National Governments are a prime example of below optimum direction
International organisations magnify that weakness.

 

[Renji]

I think it wouldn't be suitable in this new age..

 

[Caladan]

I see pros and cons with both approaches. also I assume your friend is not talking about tribes as it was in ancient times. but simply uses this term loosely.
I don't think that losing your self worth in a supposed larger collective or urban center is romantic in reality as it sounds in ideals. people still have their own distinct standards and morals which do not compare to those of just anyone.
at the end of the day its superficial, and a larger social structure is cold and unsympathetic in its essence.
I dont think that we should be too exclusive about our 'clans', whatever that means in the modern world. but I certainly appreciate it when I can be easy going when I'm around people with similiar mentality when I don't have to be pretentious or when I don't need to answer to some collective elitistic behavior.
I can get along with just about anyone when I know that they are 'OK'. but I still know there are places with similar mentality, conditions, or even language. its a shame when people make it out to be so political.