“Human beings can’t help it: we need to belong. One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people. We are drawn to leaders and to their ideas, and we can’t resist the rush of belonging and the thrill of the new. … We want to belong not to just one tribe, it turns out, but to many. And if you give us tools and make it easy, we’ll keep joining. Tribes make our lives better. And leading a tribe is the best life of all.”
– Seth Godin
Tribes, by Seth Godin
Hi Tina,
thanks for this one.
Seth is great and so is your blog.
Keep on with your great work.
regards
Anton
Apr 4th, 2012 / 5:16 am
I’ve actually always reflexively avoided joining tribes.
Sure…there is a certain safety in being part of a larger group, but at what price where individuality and self determination are concerned? Besides…safety isn’t exactly a fertile incubator for creativity.
As far as being drawn to ‘leaders’…well…don’t get me started.
Apr 4th, 2012 / 10:56 am
We’re all part of a tribe in someway whether it’s your family tribe, dinner with friends tribe, product tribe, sports tribe, or political tribe. Some tribes you join by coincidence (“Oh, you like Cheetos too!”), others by initiation (“My grandma just got a Facebook page.”). A tribe is just a label for people with related preferences, right?
Apr 4th, 2012 / 12:38 pm
Agreed: “a tribe is just a label for people with related preferences.” Some are just more…involved…than others. Like goth kids (who dress a certain way, listen to certain music, appreciate certain books and movies, and maybe eat certain places) as compared to a Converse All-Stars tribe, which is just people who always wear Converse and complement each others’ good taste in shoes when they see each other.
Joining a tribe vs maintaining individuality…a false dichotomy.
Apr 4th, 2012 / 3:42 pm