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Our "natural" biological impulses are often incredibly destructive Tribalism is easily the most destructive of our impulses, especially in the way in which it

Our "natural" biological impulses are often incredibly destructive Tribalism is easily the most destructive of our impulses, especially in the way in which it can interact with ideology. Through ideology, such tribal impulses can camouflage their own effects and short circuit the "better angels of our nature" to excuse the dehumanization end even the slaughter of the out group. I think that's the last great barrier to humans finally "waking up from history." In particular, the way tribalism and in-group/out-group psychology interposes itself into political discussions is especially pernicious -- especially in the ways it manifests over the internet in social media. Fear isn't the mind killer. It's ideology combined with tribalism! If humankind ever destroys itself, in all likelihood, some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons.

zamalek 9y ago
> some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons. "Climate change is a natural process and we shouldn't interfere with it."
jrs95 9y ago
>If humankind ever destroys itself, in all likelihood, some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons. You mean like the people commenting here advocating replacing us with AI?
- stcredzero 9y ago
  http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-emotion-goes-viral-fastest-180950182/ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-emotion-go... Pretty much anyone on the internet that gets traction is using outrage to spread their message. Since the emotions that cause viral spread on the internet are only outrage, lust, and awe, some huge whopping fraction of all communications on the internet through social media results in positions so extreme, someone eventually basically advocates destroying the human race or some large swathe of it. It's like Godwin's Law. It's most certainly related to that, come to think of it. Douglas Adams was a prophet! http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6458-meanwhile-the-poor-babel-fish-by-effectively-removing-all-barriers http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6458-meanwhile-the-poor-babe...
  - hou7 9y ago
    Turn off the like/view/retweet counts or at least delay them and the outrage cycles can be slowed down and controlled. This will happen after some catastrophic event produced through uncontrolled fear mongering. As it is most country's are turning of the networks everytime a crisis happens. Its matter of time where there arises need for a global shutdown. And then the clowns in silicon valley will wake up and do it.
barrkel 9y ago
Indeed. Nationalism, playing the man instead of the ball, blindness to hypocrisy because "the other side does it", whataboutery, and all round aversion to principles and reasoning. It long predates social media, but social media makes it worse, and the dilution of a basic consensus source of truth into fragmented tribe-truths - I don't know where it leads but it's not a good place. Soon, whatever deluded tribe gets their hands on the rudder will drive the ship of state until it hits the rocks of reality.
- stcredzero 9y ago
  Soon, whatever deluded tribe gets their hands on the rudder will drive the ship of state until it hits the rocks of reality. There's a word for this happening throughout human history. It's called "government."

zamalek 9y ago

> some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons. "Climate change is a natural process and we shouldn't interfere with it."

jrs95 9y ago

>If humankind ever destroys itself, in all likelihood, some group will have ideologically convinced itself that it should do so for some incredibly noble reasons. You mean like the people commenting here advocating replacing us with AI?

stcredzero 9y ago
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-emotion-goes-viral-fastest-180950182/ http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-emotion-go... Pretty much anyone on the internet that gets traction is using outrage to spread their message. Since the emotions that cause viral spread on the internet are only outrage, lust, and awe, some huge whopping fraction of all communications on the internet through social media results in positions so extreme, someone eventually basically advocates destroying the human race or some large swathe of it. It's like Godwin's Law. It's most certainly related to that, come to think of it. Douglas Adams was a prophet! http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6458-meanwhile-the-poor-babel-fish-by-effectively-removing-all-barriers http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/6458-meanwhile-the-poor-babe...
- hou7 9y ago
  Turn off the like/view/retweet counts or at least delay them and the outrage cycles can be slowed down and controlled. This will happen after some catastrophic event produced through uncontrolled fear mongering. As it is most country's are turning of the networks everytime a crisis happens. Its matter of time where there arises need for a global shutdown. And then the clowns in silicon valley will wake up and do it.

barrkel 9y ago

Indeed. Nationalism, playing the man instead of the ball, blindness to hypocrisy because "the other side does it", whataboutery, and all round aversion to principles and reasoning. It long predates social media, but social media makes it worse, and the dilution of a basic consensus source of truth into fragmented tribe-truths - I don't know where it leads but it's not a good place. Soon, whatever deluded tribe gets their hands on the rudder will drive the ship of state until it hits the rocks of reality.

stcredzero 9y ago
Soon, whatever deluded tribe gets their hands on the rudder will drive the ship of state until it hits the rocks of reality. There's a word for this happening throughout human history. It's called "government."