Flash Forward is a show about possible (and not so possible) future scenarios. What would the warranty on a sex robot look like? How would diplomacy work if we couldn’t lie? Could there ever be a fecal transplant black market? (Complicated, it wouldn’t, and yes, respectively, in case you’re curious.) Hosted and produced by award winning science journalist Rose Eveleth, each episode combines audio drama and journalism to go deep on potential tomorrows, and uncovers what those futures might re ...
…
continue reading
Content provided by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!
Go offline with the Player FM app!
Understanding Tribal Signals: A Conversation with an Evolutionary Anthropologist
MP3•Episode home
Manage episode 378102677 series 2427584
Content provided by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
The episode emphasizes how understanding our innate human drives and dispositions is critical, as awareness allows us to work with them constructively. In particular, humans have a "tribe drive" - an instinct to cooperate and identify with groups, even strangers. Figuring out the signals that activate this drive is an important mission. David Samson talks about the concept of tribalism and the role it plays in human behavior. He discusses the idea of evolutionary mismatch, where humans are evolved for a different environment than the one they currently live in. This episode explains that tribes are intersubjective belief networks that signal coalitionary alliances to bootstrap trust among strangers. Moreover, it explores the power of tribal signals, such as symbols, language, music, and ideology, in creating a sense of belonging and identity. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the importance of being conscious of our identity stack and the proportion of abstract tribes (e.g., political tribes) versus face-to-face community tribes in order to navigate the challenges of tribalism in the modern world.
David R. Samson
David R. Samson, Ph.D., is reshaping our understanding of human evolution. As an associate professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Toronto, he investigates the major behavioral and physiological transitions that shaped our species. Bridging diverse fields from primatology to sleep science, his interdisciplinary research has been featured internationally by the BBC, Time, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, CBC, NPR, and National Geographic.Samson is the author of the groundbreaking book "Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good." He provides profound insights into how our primal tribal wiring can be harnessed as a force for unity, not division.Beyond academia, Samson pursues medieval martial arts as a distinguished member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This gives him first-hand experience in channeling our innate tribal instincts.With his evolutionary expertise and diverse passions, Samson is illuminating new paths to overcome division and channel our tribal nature for the greater good.
Key Takeaways:
Key Topics of this Podcast:
00:04:27 - Evolutionary anthropology shapes personal perspectives.
00:09:09 - Understanding our tribal past and present.
00:17:26 - Evolutionary mismatch causes societal challenges.
00:21:29 - Tribal signals build trust and identity.
00:26:20 - Flexibility in identity and belonging.
00:31:06 - Identity is shaped by tribes.
00:34:43 - Importance of face-to-face interaction.
00:40:07 - The power of intentional community.
00:44:51 - Social connection is essential.
00:50:09 - Importance of strong social connections.
00:55:44 - Building community improves well-being.
01:02:37 - Building a community is powerful.
01:03:25 - Community is essential for well-being.
Connect with David Samson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primalprimate?s=20
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalprimatologist/?hl=en
Website: https://davidrsamson.com/
Connect with This Anthro Life:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/
This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/
Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com
…
continue reading
David R. Samson
David R. Samson, Ph.D., is reshaping our understanding of human evolution. As an associate professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Toronto, he investigates the major behavioral and physiological transitions that shaped our species. Bridging diverse fields from primatology to sleep science, his interdisciplinary research has been featured internationally by the BBC, Time, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, CBC, NPR, and National Geographic.Samson is the author of the groundbreaking book "Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good." He provides profound insights into how our primal tribal wiring can be harnessed as a force for unity, not division.Beyond academia, Samson pursues medieval martial arts as a distinguished member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This gives him first-hand experience in channeling our innate tribal instincts.With his evolutionary expertise and diverse passions, Samson is illuminating new paths to overcome division and channel our tribal nature for the greater good.
Key Takeaways:
- The concept of evolutionary mismatch is introduced, highlighting how humans are adapted for a different environment than the one we currently live in.
- The power of tribal signals in building trust among strangers is explored, with examples such as secret Masonic signals and sports jerseys.
- The importance of face-to-face interactions and belonging to smaller, local communities is emphasized as a way to combat the negative effects of tribalism.
- The Roseto mystery is discussed, where a small town in Pennsylvania had significantly lower rates of heart disease and other diseases of affluence due to their strong social network.
- The idea of an "identity stack" is introduced, encouraging individuals to be conscious of the proportion of abstract tribes (such as political affiliations) versus face-to-face community tribes they identify with.
- The concept of coalitions and symbolic connections is explored, including religion, sports, and brands as examples of tribal signals.
Key Topics of this Podcast:
00:04:27 - Evolutionary anthropology shapes personal perspectives.
00:09:09 - Understanding our tribal past and present.
00:17:26 - Evolutionary mismatch causes societal challenges.
00:21:29 - Tribal signals build trust and identity.
00:26:20 - Flexibility in identity and belonging.
00:31:06 - Identity is shaped by tribes.
00:34:43 - Importance of face-to-face interaction.
00:40:07 - The power of intentional community.
00:44:51 - Social connection is essential.
00:50:09 - Importance of strong social connections.
00:55:44 - Building community improves well-being.
01:02:37 - Building a community is powerful.
01:03:25 - Community is essential for well-being.
Connect with David Samson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primalprimate?s=20
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalprimatologist/?hl=en
Website: https://davidrsamson.com/
Connect with This Anthro Life:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/
This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/
Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com
216 episodes
MP3•Episode home
Manage episode 378102677 series 2427584
Content provided by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Anthrocurious, LLC and LLC or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
The episode emphasizes how understanding our innate human drives and dispositions is critical, as awareness allows us to work with them constructively. In particular, humans have a "tribe drive" - an instinct to cooperate and identify with groups, even strangers. Figuring out the signals that activate this drive is an important mission. David Samson talks about the concept of tribalism and the role it plays in human behavior. He discusses the idea of evolutionary mismatch, where humans are evolved for a different environment than the one they currently live in. This episode explains that tribes are intersubjective belief networks that signal coalitionary alliances to bootstrap trust among strangers. Moreover, it explores the power of tribal signals, such as symbols, language, music, and ideology, in creating a sense of belonging and identity. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the importance of being conscious of our identity stack and the proportion of abstract tribes (e.g., political tribes) versus face-to-face community tribes in order to navigate the challenges of tribalism in the modern world.
David R. Samson
David R. Samson, Ph.D., is reshaping our understanding of human evolution. As an associate professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Toronto, he investigates the major behavioral and physiological transitions that shaped our species. Bridging diverse fields from primatology to sleep science, his interdisciplinary research has been featured internationally by the BBC, Time, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, CBC, NPR, and National Geographic.Samson is the author of the groundbreaking book "Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good." He provides profound insights into how our primal tribal wiring can be harnessed as a force for unity, not division.Beyond academia, Samson pursues medieval martial arts as a distinguished member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This gives him first-hand experience in channeling our innate tribal instincts.With his evolutionary expertise and diverse passions, Samson is illuminating new paths to overcome division and channel our tribal nature for the greater good.
Key Takeaways:
Key Topics of this Podcast:
00:04:27 - Evolutionary anthropology shapes personal perspectives.
00:09:09 - Understanding our tribal past and present.
00:17:26 - Evolutionary mismatch causes societal challenges.
00:21:29 - Tribal signals build trust and identity.
00:26:20 - Flexibility in identity and belonging.
00:31:06 - Identity is shaped by tribes.
00:34:43 - Importance of face-to-face interaction.
00:40:07 - The power of intentional community.
00:44:51 - Social connection is essential.
00:50:09 - Importance of strong social connections.
00:55:44 - Building community improves well-being.
01:02:37 - Building a community is powerful.
01:03:25 - Community is essential for well-being.
Connect with David Samson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primalprimate?s=20
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalprimatologist/?hl=en
Website: https://davidrsamson.com/
Connect with This Anthro Life:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/
This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/
Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com
…
continue reading
David R. Samson
David R. Samson, Ph.D., is reshaping our understanding of human evolution. As an associate professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Toronto, he investigates the major behavioral and physiological transitions that shaped our species. Bridging diverse fields from primatology to sleep science, his interdisciplinary research has been featured internationally by the BBC, Time, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, CBC, NPR, and National Geographic.Samson is the author of the groundbreaking book "Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good." He provides profound insights into how our primal tribal wiring can be harnessed as a force for unity, not division.Beyond academia, Samson pursues medieval martial arts as a distinguished member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This gives him first-hand experience in channeling our innate tribal instincts.With his evolutionary expertise and diverse passions, Samson is illuminating new paths to overcome division and channel our tribal nature for the greater good.
Key Takeaways:
- The concept of evolutionary mismatch is introduced, highlighting how humans are adapted for a different environment than the one we currently live in.
- The power of tribal signals in building trust among strangers is explored, with examples such as secret Masonic signals and sports jerseys.
- The importance of face-to-face interactions and belonging to smaller, local communities is emphasized as a way to combat the negative effects of tribalism.
- The Roseto mystery is discussed, where a small town in Pennsylvania had significantly lower rates of heart disease and other diseases of affluence due to their strong social network.
- The idea of an "identity stack" is introduced, encouraging individuals to be conscious of the proportion of abstract tribes (such as political affiliations) versus face-to-face community tribes they identify with.
- The concept of coalitions and symbolic connections is explored, including religion, sports, and brands as examples of tribal signals.
Key Topics of this Podcast:
00:04:27 - Evolutionary anthropology shapes personal perspectives.
00:09:09 - Understanding our tribal past and present.
00:17:26 - Evolutionary mismatch causes societal challenges.
00:21:29 - Tribal signals build trust and identity.
00:26:20 - Flexibility in identity and belonging.
00:31:06 - Identity is shaped by tribes.
00:34:43 - Importance of face-to-face interaction.
00:40:07 - The power of intentional community.
00:44:51 - Social connection is essential.
00:50:09 - Importance of strong social connections.
00:55:44 - Building community improves well-being.
01:02:37 - Building a community is powerful.
01:03:25 - Community is essential for well-being.
Connect with David Samson:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primalprimate?s=20
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalprimatologist/?hl=en
Website: https://davidrsamson.com/
Connect with This Anthro Life:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/
This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/
Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com
216 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.