Explore More: The Ignited Life Newsletter
“The problem isn’t that we follow tribes. The problem is when we follow them blindly.”
MICHAEL MORRIS
What Tribal Psychology Reveals About Conflict, Connection, and Culture
In this episode of the Passion Struck podcast, John R. Miles is joined by renowned cultural psychologist Dr. Michael Morris to explore how our instinctive drive to belong shapes everything from political polarization to workplace behavior. Through compelling real-world examples and deeply human insight, Michael reveals the psychological roots behind group loyalty, tribal thinking, and how even well-meaning people get caught in cycles of division. The discussion sheds light on the role of conformity, tradition, and social identity—and offers a fresh perspective on how we can lead with greater empathy and build bridges in an increasingly fragmented world.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- Understanding Tribal Instincts: How our brains evolved to prioritize peer acceptance, heroic emulation, and ancestral continuity—and why these instincts still guide modern behavior.
- Partisan Blindness: Why political bubbles skew our perceptions of others and what it takes to truly see beyond our ideological silos.
- Culture as Cognition: The surprising ways culture doesn’t just influence what we think, but how we think—and why this matters for leaders and teams.
- The Power of Oblique Conversations: How “indirect” dialogue methods like shared meals or hobbies can foster cross-tribal empathy more effectively than structured debates.
- Social Media’s Role: The double-edged sword of digital platforms—and how algorithms hijack our tribal instincts to deepen division.
- Belonging vs. Blindness: The difference between healthy community and unthinking loyalty, and how to create a connection without losing clarity.
WHY IS THIS EPISODE A MUST-LISTEN?
This conversation goes far beyond theory. It offers urgently needed tools for understanding how conflict forms and how to break the cycle. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by toxic discourse, struggled to bridge divides, or wondered how to lead with more cultural intelligence, this episode will leave you with clarity, courage, and a renewed sense of what’s possible.
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What a Cultural Psychologist Reminded Me About Belonging and Being Human
One thing I kept thinking about after this conversation with Michael Morris, even though we never said it directly, is how much of our behavior is driven not just by logic but by longing. The longing to belong. To feel seen. To know that we matter.
When we look at politics, workplace dynamics, or even personal relationships, the truth is we are often not just reacting to opinions or data. We are responding to a deeper emotional need. That need to fit in, to connect, to be accepted.
That makes the tribal instincts Michael describes incredibly powerful. But it also makes them fragile. Because when belonging feels threatened, many of us will choose certainty over complexity, or loyalty over understanding.
Realizing that made me reflect on a few of my own past decisions with more compassion. It reminded me that if we want to build bridges instead of walls, we cannot rely on facts alone. We need to lead with empathy and connection.
And that, at its heart, is what this episode is really about. Not just how tribalism divides us, but how it can help us rediscover what it means to be human, if we choose to see it that way.
Thanks, Michael Morris
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RESOURCES FROM THE SHOW WITH MICHAEL MORRIS
Please note that some of the links on this page (books, movies, music, etc.) lead to affiliate programs for which The Passion Struck podcast receives compensation. It’s just one of the ways we keep the lights on around here. Thank you so much for being so supportive!
- Michael Morris’ Website
- Michael Morris’ Instagram
- Michael Morris’ Book ‘Tribal’
- APA’s recognition of mattering as critical to child mental health
- Passion Struck Core Value System: https://passionstruck.com/the-passion-struck-core-belief-system/
- Listen to Passion Struck’s interviews with New York Times bestselling authors Gretchen Rubin and Seth Godin.
- Check out Passion Struck’s Episode Starter Packs on Spotify or Passion Struck starter packs to get started with the podcast.
About Today’s Guest, Michael Morris
Michael Morris is a renowned cultural psychologist and professor at Columbia University, where he examines the profound impact of culture on cognition, emotion, and decision-making. He holds joint appointments at Columbia Business School and the Department of Psychology, and his research has been published in top academic journals and featured in global media.
Morris is widely recognized for his work on how cultural and tribal instincts shape human behavior, particularly in the realms of leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution. His cross-disciplinary approach combines psychology, anthropology, and management science to explore how we think, lead, and connect across differences.
He is the author of Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together, a powerful examination of the Peer, Hero, and Ancestor Instincts that drive our group behavior—and how these ancient instincts can be better understood and guided to foster empathy, inclusion, and collaboration in a divided world.
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