The science behind ‘us vs. them’ | Dan Shapiro, Robert Sapolsky & more | Big Think

Summary

The video explores the human brain's evolutionary tendency to divide the world into 'us' and 'them,' often leading to tribalism. Robert Sapolsky highlights how oxytocin, often praised for promoting social bonding, intensifies in-group favoritism and worsens out-group hostility. The script also discusses the psychological mechanisms behind first impressions, emphasizing how culture and typicality shape our perceptions of trustworthiness. It concludes by stressing the challenge of overcoming these instinctual divides, noting that while we're hardwired for bias, we are also highly adaptable and can redefine who belongs to our 'us' group.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Our brains are wired to find meaning and make assumptions about the world and people around us.
• 👥 We naturally categorize people into 'us' and 'them', often leading to negative treatment of those we perceive as 'them'.
• 🦍 This tribalistic behavior is common among social primates and is deeply ingrained in human nature.
• 🤔 The hormone oxytocin, known for enhancing social bonding, actually increases favoritism towards our in-group and aggression towards out-groups.
• ⏱️ Our brains quickly differentiate between 'us' and 'them' within a fifth of a second, highlighting the speed of our tribalistic responses.
• 🚫 The concept of 'us' and 'them' can be manipulated, showing that these divisions are not static and can be influenced.
• 😃 First impressions are influenced by a variety of factors including emotional expressions, stereotypes, and facial typicality.
• 🌐 Cultural differences play a significant role in what we perceive as typical and trustworthy in faces.
• 🏛️ Loyalty to one's tribe can override the importance of content or argument substance, leading to division and conflict.
• 🌉 Encouraging cross-cutting identities can help mitigate the negative effects of tribalism by creating multiple, overlapping social groups.
• 🔄 The ability to see differently and challenge our assumptions is crucial for overcoming the 'us' versus 'them' mentality.

Q & A

What role does oxytocin play in social behavior according to the transcript?

Oxytocin promotes prosocial behavior, such as bonding, trust, and empathy, but only for those perceived as part of one's in-group. It enhances favoritism toward 'us' while making individuals more aggressive and less cooperative toward 'them,' reinforcing the 'us versus them' divide.

How does the brain quickly differentiate between 'us' and 'them'?

The brain processes the differences between 'us' and 'them' within milliseconds. Factors like race, socioeconomic status, and cultural groupings are assessed almost immediately, even without conscious awareness. This rapid categorization is deeply embedded in our evolutionary history.

What does the runaway trolley experiment illustrate in the context of oxytocin?

The runaway trolley experiment shows how oxytocin can influence moral decision-making. Under the influence of oxytocin, people were more likely to sacrifice an out-group member (like someone with a foreign-sounding name) than an in-group member, demonstrating the hormone's role in reinforcing in-group bias.

How does the perception of facial typicality influence trust according to the transcript?

People tend to trust faces that are perceived as typical within their cultural environment. For example, Israelis are more likely to trust faces that look more Israeli, while Japanese individuals trust faces that appear more Japanese. This highlights how cultural factors shape perceptions of trustworthiness.

Why is loyalty to a tribe so significant in modern society?

Loyalty to a tribe is critical because it provides a sense of belonging and identity. Betraying a tribe's trust can lead to social punishment, such as being ostracized or ridiculed. In political contexts, loyalty can override the importance of arguments or policies, with individuals prioritizing loyalty over content.

How does living in a diverse environment like New York City impact one's perception of typicality?

Living in a diverse environment, such as New York City, broadens one's notion of typicality. Exposure to a wide variety of faces makes individuals less likely to rely on narrow stereotypes, leading to more inclusive social perceptions compared to those in less diverse, rural areas.

What evolutionary factors contribute to humans' ability to detect social cues?

Humans are uniquely equipped to detect social cues due to evolutionary traits such as the whites of the eyes (sclera), which make it easier to track eye gaze and share attention. Additionally, facial expressions and changes in skin color play a significant role in communicating emotions, helping us navigate social interactions.

Why is questioning assumptions important for changing perceptions?

Questioning assumptions is key to seeing the world differently because our perceptions are grounded in historical assumptions. To change how we perceive things, we must first acknowledge our biases and then challenge them. However, this process can be difficult, as it involves embracing uncertainty, which the brain naturally tries to avoid.

How do ideologies manipulate the 'us versus them' mentality?

Ideologies can manipulate the 'us versus them' mentality by redefining who is considered part of the in-group and who belongs to the out-group. This manipulation can happen very quickly, often based on trivial factors like the sports team someone supports, demonstrating how easily we can be influenced to categorize others.

What is the significance of first impressions according to the transcript?

First impressions are psychologically significant because they help us quickly assess the intentions of others, especially in situations where we have limited information. While these impressions are useful for survival, they can lead to suboptimal outcomes, as they are not always accurate and may be influenced by stereotypes or superficial traits.