Seth Godin is one of my favorite writers, I've read most of his books and I read his blog daily. The other day he sent out what for me was a reminder about the culture of the tribe and I want to share it with you, below. When I read More Pious I was reminded of Freidrich Nieszsche's complicated discussion on "herd instinct" and I was also reminded of the following simple suggestion by Dr Suess's, "Why fit in when you were born to stand out!".
We all have a basic need and a longing to belong. We all seek to find our people. Whether we think so or not, we all belong to tribes: the tribe we were assigned to by birth and the tribe(s) we choose to join or form as we grow up.
More Pious by Seth Godin
Tribe members often fall into a trap, a trap created by the fear of standing out, and a natural avoidance to question things.
"You're not wearing the proper tie."
"That's not how someone like us gets married."
"My tweets are of the proper format, yours aren't."
"The way you are teaching your kids the rules is wrong."
"That symbol of purity isn't good enough for my family."
"Your version of the way things should be is a compromise."
"What, you're not wearing an official jersey to the game?"
As soon as someone says, "I am more pious than you," they've chosen to push someone down in order to pull themselves up, at least in feeling more secure as a member of the tribe. This might be good for the hegemony of the tribe, but it ultimately degrades the spirit that the tribe set out to create.
(XO, Lisa)