If your friends don't wear masks, you won't either.

We all belong to a variety of tribes that influence our behavior. The closer the association we have with the tribe, the more likely we are to follow their cues.  

A study published in The American Journal of Health, found that if your friends are overweight, so are you.  That's because we change our habits to mirror those of our friends, even if we are unaware that we are doing it. (Junge, 2011) 

Remember the last time you went to dinner with friends?  Did someone order a drink?  If they did, did everyone else?  What about dessert?

 

Research also tells us that 60% of us care deeply about belonging to the tribe and that people like others who are similar to themselves.

So not wearing a mask becomes a way to affiliate with the group regardless of potential consequences.

How sad is that?

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Junge, C. (2011, May 24)  How your friends make you fat - the social network of weight.  harvard.edu.  Retrieved March 3, 2020, from  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-your-friends-make-you-fat%E2%80%94the-social-network-of-weight-201105242666

Is Trump's success due to storytelling? Or is it tribal?

I read an interesting article yesterday about the mystery of why Trump supporters continue to ignore the truth.  Yeah I know - fake news. 

The article hypothesized that Trump is a storyteller and therefore truth is irrelevant.  It made me smile as I have often commented that my husband never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. (Bencherki & Basque, 2018)

Research tells us that storytelling is both key to memory and an extremely effective sales tool.  The seminal study on the subject, done in 2009/10, was called the "Significant Objects Project."  200 random items were bought at an average cost of $1.25 each.  Professional writers added personal stories for each - clearly false as they were not intending to deceive - and then items were sold on eBay - for nearly $8,000. 

http://significantobjects.com/about/

So yes, storytelling works, and it is likely that the mirror neurons created by Trump's storytelling, and reinforced through his tweets are creating a bond with his audience. (2017)

But the article goes on to mention that Trump is in fact offering a place in his successful/high status tribe to the disenfranchised. 

That makes more sense to me.  In previous blogs I have discussed how strong the need to belong is and have hypothesized that there is no such thing as individual thought anymore because the need to belong to the tribe is simply too overwhelming. 

http://pjlehrer.blogspot.com/2018/03/is-there-any-individual-thought-anymore_14.html

But Trump's storytelling is the key to making them believe that they do in fact belong, so it is indeed one of the reasons why people continue to support him and believe his lies.  Denial is a powerful thing.

Bencherki, N. & Basque, J. (2018, August 7)  Why so many Americans continue to believe that Donald Trump’s lies are facts. rawstory.com  Retrieved August 8, 2018, from  https://www.rawstory.com/2018/08/many-americans-continue-believe-donald-trumps-lies-facts/?comments=disqus

(2017, May 8)  The Science of Storytelling & Memory and Their Impact on CRO. conversionxl.com  Retrieved August 8, 2018, from https://conversionxl.com/blog/the-science-of-storytelling-memory-motivation-and-its-impact-on-cro/

Is there any individual thought anymore, or is it all tribal?

I can't remember where I saw that idea first expressed, but I think about it often. 

It's a basic human need to want to belong to a tribe.  From an anthropological standpoint it was essential.  Those that belonged survived.  Those that didn't...

Myers-Briggs norms tell us that the majority of people (59.8% ) care more about relationships than task.  And if you add the people who have only a moderate preference for task, you can see that it is fair to say that most people want to belong to a tribe to at least some extent.  

 

Source: Myers-Briggs norms - 1972 - 2002

So what does this mean?

I was watching a late night news show a few months back and author Ken Stern was discussing his new book Republican Like Me, when he starting singing National Brotherhood Week - a Tom Lehrer song - about everyone hating each other.  Since it was written in 1967, I hadn't thought about it in a while.  So I was amazed at how prescient it now seems.  But then again I have been having 60's flashbacks ever since Donald Trump started winning Republican primaries. 

In case you want a refresher here's a video of Tom performing the song... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgASBVMyVFI

There has been some speculation that the Internet has created an even stronger need to belong to a tribe.  We see all these people having such a great time on Facebook and Instagram and we want to be one of them.  Hence the concern about individual thinking being negated by group think.

Since one way we express allegiance to the tribe is by wearing similar clothing.  I surveyed my predominately Gen Z class to see if they were willing to advertise their affiliations in public.  You can read their thoughts here...

http://pjlehrer.blogspot.com/2017/09/will-golden-state-warrior-fans-buy-nike.html

Bottom line - yes.  They even mention buying new clothes to be part of the NYC tribe.  And trying to find a beverage at Starbucks they like in order to fit in.  Only one student in 25 shared my opinion that companies should pay me if they want me to be a walking billboard for them.  Maybe that's a Baby Boomer thing.

But I can't help thinking that once you have bought an item that broadcasts your association with a tribe, you are far less likely to disown them if they do something that is inconsistent with your personal beliefs. 

Which brings me back to the original question - Is there any individual thought anymore, or is it all tribal?