We Are Tribal in Nature, Fighting For Resouces

I saw something the other day that made me think about this topic. LeBron James has a show on HBO Max called, The Shop. He usually has a number of current and former NBA players on it, along with athletes from other sports, actors or actresses, just a diverse number of people sitting around the barbershop and chatting.

I enjoy it greatly. I love the NBA and follow it closely. I admire LeBron for sticking up for marginalized groups and calling out racial injustice.

This is precisely why many racist and bigoted people can’t stand him. Some Americans don’t appreciate others getting in the way of their blind patriotism with their logic, intelligence, and dialogue. Never mind that he’s an all-time great, a family man, and a successful businessman.

He’s black and he’s calling out racial injustice. So he’s the enemy, in the minds of many.

This is ridiculous. But we’re a nation full of ridiculous people. Many citizens tend to be scared of what they’re unfamiliar with. That is ignorant and cowardly. They prefer to stick to what they know with who they know. This often involves racism, bigotry, sexism, and homophobia.

Jon Stewart was a guest on this particular episode of The Shop. Jon is an incredibly funny, intelligent Jewish actor and former host of The Daily Show for many years.

I love his activism for veterans and the law enforcement and firefighter victims of 9/11 whose health deteriorated after being exposed to the unsafe conditions of trying to rescue people and clean up at Ground Zero.

Jon said that people are tribal by nature, sticking together and fighting for resources. He explained that growing up, many Jewish people supported other Jewish folks’ businesses only. There was no question about it.

LeBron and a couple of other African American guests concurred that this was their experience as well, growing up in black neighborhoods, supporting each other’s businesses, and hanging out with friends that were their same race. LeBron didn’t know any white people until basketball took him to a private high school.

I get it. If you are part of a marginalized group of people and the people treating you the worst are Caucasian people, you may not be inclined to want to hang around other good white people who have the potential to treat you in a kind, respectful way.

It goes both ways. I’ve known people who have had one negative experience with a person of color and decided to start judging other people of color because of this one negative incident that happened. That’s completely irrational and ignorant.

When it’s been done to you systematically, however, and there’s a repetition of shitty behavior toward you as a person of a differing race, it’s far easier to understand and empathize with a person who is legitimately scared of certain groups of people.

My daughter is a proud, gay, young woman. I cannot imagine she’d be comfortable in a social setting around a bunch of Fox News watching, MAGA supporters who have AR-15 strapped to their backs while eating their Grand Slam breakfasts at Denny’s. Yeah, you’ve got some egg in your beard, Cletus.

So we tend to stick to our tribes. We see protection in numbers. When we surround ourselves with people who are similar to us, we feel safe. We tend to want to support others who look like us, believe in the things we believe in, and even practice the religions we put our faith in.

But at what cost?

By doing this and sticking to our wolf pack, we survive, but don’t thrive. We do not get to learn nearly as much about other people. We miss out on experiences that we could have shared by learning from somebody else. I cannot imagine a more sad, boring existence.

I love that my tribes are diverse and interesting. I started thinking about the communities I’m a part of and the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know. I have a few groups that I truly cherish, and I’m proud that my wolf pack is varied and wonderful.

My immediate family is my most important, small tribe. My Bride, our kids, and my sister-in-law live under one roof. They are the ones I love the most, laugh with constantly, and am fiercely protective of. Wolf Pack Numero Uno.

My larger, more diverse tribe is my Writing Wolf Pack. That’s y’all. You guys are some of my favorite people. The best surprise I found through writing for Medium was this social aspect. I’ve made so many friends here that I just adore. I’d tag you all, but I’d be here all day. You know who you are.

My writing tribe is the best. I can always count on your support and your education of First-Year-Writer Jason. I’ve learned a ton about writing and differing ways of life through reading your blogs, articles, and comments.

Plus some of you are just silly as fuck. Anyone who can make me laugh is part of my wolf pack. The funniest people are always going to be my favorite. Making someone laugh through writing is such a talent.

The other group of people I just adore is my social media tribe. Some of you are part of that one, as well. I’ve really become close with a number of people from Twitter, which is a newer group for me.

I’ve found far more writers and intelligent, diverse people there than during my 13 years on Facebook. Twitter has become a priority for me, and Facebook, secondary. I’ve grown fed up with Facebook due to having so many local people as contacts on there.

I live in a very conservative, religiously-controlled state and the views of so many on my Facebook just make me disgusted. I’ve eliminated many people from there who posted racist and bigoted things. But there are still a few creeping around there, I’m sure. I find you and when I do, you’re out.

Find your wolf packs and learn from their members. Become an important part of your tribes, but choose them wisely. Being involved with diverse people will help you learn, grow, and be far more entertained than only sticking with people who are exactly the same as you.

I’d rather be able to learn from my wolf pack than just lead it. Membership benefits should go both ways. Let’s teach and learn from each other and appreciate our differences, in life and in our writing. &:^)