Metastatic Tribalism that forms our Populist Extremes

Metastatic tribalism can be seen as the conduit for social transformation that takes place through the social genetics of the tribe. Social genetics, more succinctly sociogenomics is the exposure generated social interaction that changes the macro epigenome of the tribe. This is clearly illustrated in the dramatic frenzied shift that manifests itself exponentially when humans gather en masse for a passionate cause.

Research demonstrates the significant impact of group identity on brain function. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain reveal that symbols associated with groups, e.g. team logos, political emblems, flags/banners, medals, ribbons, pins, rings, uniforms, etc. all activate reward centers in the brain. Our inherent tribal nature is foundational to social behavior and we autonomically lean into it without cognitive awareness or urging.

In an old fairytale we find a scorpion who cannot swim and who beseeches a frog to let him ride on his back across the river that he wanted to cross. The frog agreed and the scorpion ferried him across the water, but halfway across the scorpion stung the frog.  The frog screamed out why did you do that? Now we both will die. The scorpion responded, “It’s in me nature”. It’s in our nature to gravitate toward tribalism, which is when most populists’ movements are born.

The brain plays a significant role in our cognitive, emotional, and social functions. One fascinating aspect of the brain is its inherent social nature. We are wired to thrive in social contexts and seek connections with others.  Tribalism refers to humans forming social groups and identifying with them, driven by shared identity, values, goals and shear survival. The neuroscience of tribalism investigates the neural mechanisms underlying our social behaviors. The current research has revealed that perceiving others as part of our group (the tribe) as stated before activates the brain’s reward system which fosters loyalty pride and preference. Social genomics changes the brain. Similar to the Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological environment can change the brain through neural plasticity. This is the mechanism by which the brain creates new neural pathways in the brain to adapt to a changing environment. Our brain is wired for adaptation; it’s in our nature.    

Our first humans lived in bands of nonsocial beings but soon moved to tribal identification for survival and support. Not only for a common defense from nomadic band invasions but for the sharing of hunting areas, water sources and agricultural skills. Soon bands formed villages and a State level of leadership grew organically to collectively nurture and self-govern the growing populus. Politics was born; sociogenomics was then born.

Ken Kesey Jr. authored a book in 1984 entitled “ The Hundredth Monkey ” an unusual tome in which he describes an anthropological experiment (based on purported real events) that illustrates in a simple way how a sociogenomic shift can transpire with a shared experience.  Monkeys on a small island were given sweet potatoes to eat by researchers who merely tossed them on the beach.  The monkeys ate them, but found it was challenging to eat as they were covered in beach sand. One chimp dropped his potato in the ocean and discovered that when he retrieved it, he could easily eat it rapidly without grit in his teeth. Comrade chimps near him saw this behavior and through the magic of mirror neurons aped his behavior and they too could rapidly pigged out on potatoes to their fill. As the story goes, when the 100^th monkey in this tribe on this island learned this behavior by witnessing it, soon monkeys elsewhere across the globe living near the water started washing their fruit in the ocean. This is The Hundredth Monkey Principle.

Initially mirror neurons create pathways to social behaviors by aping the constructs of the immediate environment.  With repetition, neurons become permanent structures that become integral to social brain function. When this happens on a large scale at some point it becomes viral in the matrix of planetary connection and all sentient beings will have it available as an etheric bond to shared wisdom on a global scale.

This shared wisdom is not always accessible without a discipline that fosters a connection e.g. meditation, fasting, silence and prayer. Sometimes, however, it can be the result of an illness, accident, trauma, dream, hallucinogenic experience or spiritual epiphany that can open this connection with a switchboard of possibilities. 

Connection is however intrinsic with being human. It is well illustrated that when large groups of likeminded individuals with a fervent passion gather, they will automatically connect to the tribes’ shared beliefs, rituals and practice and understand it on an intuitive level.  It will “feel familiar” it will feel correct. Pride and confidence will become inherent within the group and within other groups with similar mindsets in other locations. In a quantum entanglement kind of way, we all feel the same set of instructions that supports the tribe. No different than the instructions the worker bee gets to construct the hive, no verbal cues or commands, but a knowing and a recognition of the all-inclusive algorithm of the universe to sustain, protect, nurture, perpetuate and defend the species. I call this metastatic tribalism.

The entire modern world and for that matter the ancient world have lived under some form of”state level” social communal existence. The state level will usually manifest itself into the bifurcated forms of government we see today  with the “ In/out “  zeitgeist model that forms  the political arm of most civilized countries in the world. This model holds the lion’s share of a country’s leadership models wherein the out-group wants to be the in-group. It’s in our nature.

When ideologies overlap to a happy medium, we have prosperity, when they collide, we have chaos, when they divide we have anarchy. There is nothing happy about anarchy; no one wins but anger, and death. When prosperity yields to inequity, we ALL fall down.

We as a country find ourselves in state of inequity, the working bifurcated manifestation of state level governing as perceived by our forefathers and written into the constitution is in jeopardy and in chaos. Saying anything else is putting lipstick on pig. The pendulum has swung to its polar limit, and we are now feeling the pull and strain of its natural inexorable return to equilibrium.

We are now seeing a phenomenon of metastatic tribal joy; philia and happy tears fill our nation instead of metastatic tribal anger and dystopian angst.  The drums are beating a rhythm that is passed from village to village with a tune of unity without depravity, its enervating and electrifying.

To metastasize socially is to spread rapidly and undaunted for good or for bad, to spread slowly over time or manifested in a single gathering or incident. This phenomenon can sweep through a population, a foundation, a congregation, a concert, a party, football game or rally, it’s real, it is palpable, it is vibrational, it is contagious, and it is human. Why do you think ancient civilizations at great cost and labor built extravagant cathedrals, coliseums, forums and arenas?  They were built to create and validate the social norm for governing a populous by gathering together as bees in the hive to synchronize; out of many we are one.

Tribalism is inherent to the swing of the social pendulum between who is the in and who is the out. Reaching the extremes of anthropological polarization, we see a return with a passionate embracement of populist movements. Chants of returning power to the people (tribe) who feel overburdened by state level control can be heard and are also passed on from village-to-village breeding dissent, and division. An Orwellian reality as stark as the allegory made in Animal Farm is generated.  “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others” -George Orwell; Animal Farm.

Sometimes generational, genderrational and racial entitlements are threatened by the swing of the pendulum which automatically creates a riff between the in-crowd and the out-crowd. This changing dynamic creates division, anger and angst in the populous at large and the beating drums do not harmonize from village to village.

This will be our eternal dilemma and our cross to bear as a global citizen, countryman and villager. We must ride the tides created by the swing of the pendulum of being humans who need each other to survive. It’s in our nature. We must study our history to prepare for the return of the past; we must honor and listen to the drumbeats of today to once again negotiate our future.   Vote responsibly.