Why do we form tribes?

9/4/2026

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What’s your tribe?

Who’s tribal? I’m Mr. Beat, and I identify as a member of multiple tribes. (turning) And so do you, because you’re presumably also a human being.(turning) (turning) Wait….are you not a human being? Oh of course, I forget, I do get some other species that watch me from time to time. Hello!

Well, we human beings are tribal, and by that I mean we love being part of groups. (turning)

Look around you. Everywhere you go, human beings are sorting themselves into teams.

“Tribalism” is our tendency to form strong in-groups…aka “us,” and treat everyone OUTSIDE that in-group….aka “them,” with suspicion, competition, or sometimes straight up hostility. “Tribe” comes from the old Latin word “tribus” which means association with a group of people who all think they have common ancestors. Ya know, kin groups, or people related by blood, marriage, or adoption…families and extended families.

But wait, why do form in-groups to begin with? (turning)

Oh come on, Sydney Sweeney, you know why. We’re social creatures…but only up to a certain point. Throughout most of human history, we lived in tribes of maybe 100-150 people. Our ancestors survived by sticking together…sharing food, defending each other, scratching each other’s backs….because going solo meant game over man. If you got kicked out of the tribe, you didn’t just lose your friends- you probably died. Over thousands of years, our brains have evolved to tie our own self-worth and safety to group identity. Our brains became quite good at detecting “us” versus “them,” and also today, we divide the world into "us" versus "them" as a mental shortcut, which makes cooperating easy with our in-group, but unfortunately makes it difficult to trust everyone else.

And Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know I said I’d never think I wasn’t better alone
Yeah, that’s Billie Eilish. But it’s also “homophily.” . (Vsauce music) Homophily is the idea that humans tend to associate and get along with those similar to them.

(clips)

Yep, despite us no longer being nomadic hunter gatherers but instead in huge modern societies filled with millions of human beings (sitting on couches watching YouTube videos), our brains still beg nearly all of us to belong to a tribe.The problem with that?(turn) Uh…the traits we use to draw the lines are often superficial. And these lines become dangerous in the modern world because when we prioritize blind loyalty to our team over empathy toward our fellow humans, we stop looking at facts, we start dehumanizing outsiders, and we punish anyone inside our group who dares to question the narrative. Ultimately, it tears apart democratic institutions and makes it nearly impossible to solve big, global problems…because instead of working together as one human species, we’re too busy treating our neighbors like the enemy.

So with all that in mind, in this video let’s look at the biggest ways we form in-groups and out-groups. And let’s do it Letterman style. Let’s make it a top 10. Let's count down the top 10 ways people divide themselves into groups. These rankings come from my own observations of history, current events, and yeah…how I think people actually behave. Starting with number 10…

#10 Lifestyle and fandom

We tend to divide ourselves by daily habits. (turning) (turning) And we tend to divide ourselves by what or who we are fans of.

Quick question: what kind of car do you drive?

Where do you buy your coffee? Do you tend to shop at Walmart or Target? Do you even lift, bro? Believe it or not, your answer to those questions might say more about your “tribe” than who you voted for in the last election.

What you eat or drink, the car you drive, the brands you wear, and even how you spend your Saturday mornings have become modern badges of belonging. Whether it’s the carnivore diet, homesteading, van life, urbanism, slow living, crossfit, digital minimalism, or fast fashion, if you do it enough, the connection is so strong that those who DON’T do what you do or buy what you buy probably think you’re pretty weird, bruh.

When it comes to lifestyles, your tribe might be small, but your bond with your tribe is so strong that outsiders also feel weird to you.

Whether it’s Android versus iPhone, Android is better….Kendrick Lamar versus Drake….Kendrick obviously is better….or Minecraft versus Roblox….(awkwardly stare at camera), we tend to take our fandoms shockingly seriously. We literally riot over a game. Look at that. Those are fans of a team that just won a championship. They won it all and are still doing that.

Yeah, sports is probably the best example of this. I’m a big Chiefs fan. I’ve tried not to be a Chiefs fan at several points in my life, but I’m never gonna give them up, even though they’ve let me down. We are hardwired to find our team, to obsess over it, and to treat the other side like the ultimate rival….all over things that, at the end of the day, are just entertainment. Speaking of which, don’t even get me started about the Raiders! Or Mizzou.

Fandoms act as a quick shorthand for who you are and what you value. Saying “I’m a massive Lords of the Rings fan” or “I only listen to death metal” has become so much more than entertainment. By wearing that shirt expressing your fandom, you are signaling to the world your taste, personality, and overall vibe. It gives you pre-packaged identity. People have literally become friends in my real-life since finding each other on my Discord server. That’s pretty cool.

When someone criticizes your favorite artist, show, or team, it triggers a defensive reaction because your brain perceives it as a personal attack on YOU or someone you care about. Speaking of which, let me address the fact that another YouTuber was talking trash about me. (turning) Don’t worry, they didn’t mean it.

#9 Ethnicity

Maybe not nearly as much as we used to, but we tend to divide ourselves based on our ethnicity. (turning) (turning) Now, as a citizen of a country just 250 years old I don’t have strong ties to any one ethnicity. (turning) And I do think a growing number of humans share this sentiment with me (turning) which is why ethnicity is only #9 on this list. (turning) However, billions of other human beings do, especially throughout history.

You see, “ethnicity” just means strongly identifying with a group based on the group’s common ancestry, history, and traditions.

Ethnic identity is powerful because it answers fundamental human questions like “who am I?” and “Where do I come from?” and “Who stands with me?” Ethnicity’s fuel is heritage, those specific traditions passed down from prior generations. And the stories, man. Ethnic groups know their own history very well and are well connected with the momentum of the past.

Often ethnicity is stronger with those whose ancestors experienced greater hardship in the past or the present. Ya know, stuff like discrimination, persecution, or just generally collective catastrophe.

When we perceive that our ethnic group is or has been treated unfairly by the wider society, we tend to identify more closely with our ethnic in-group. Basically, hardship frequently sharpens ethnic identity because belonging to the group becomes a way to cope, to make meaning of suffering, and to create a sense of continuity.

In that way, me not having any strong ties to one ethnicity is a sign of privilege. I mean, most of my ancestors came from Northern and Western Europe. A part of the world that conquered and colonized the vast majority of the world over the past 600 years. (turning) Yes, how lucky am I don’t have any close association with an ethnic group.

One distinct example of an ethnic group is the preservation of a language not because it’s practical necessarily, but as a way to honor and remember a group’s history and culture.

#8 Education

We tend to divide ourselves based on how much education we got. (turning) (turning) Get….I hope we’re still earning, by golly.

Indeed, today, one of the biggest lines dividing us is whether or not we went to college. Social scientists even call this the "diploma divide." It’s not just about getting a degree…it shapes where we live, how we vote, and even who we marry…

You’re married to me, correct?

Shannon: Yes

Mr. Beat: Ahh, and you have a college degree, no?

Shannon: Yes

Mr. Beat: Ahh, as do I! See?

College graduates tend to cluster in big cities, support long-established institutions, and vote for more left-leaning candidates, while non-college grads are more likely to live in rural areas, value more traditional trades, and not trust long-established institutions. It has created two distinct cultural worlds that rarely overlap, turning education into an increasingly distinct tribal characteristic in the 21st century.

Often related to education?

#7 Wealth

We tend to divide ourselves based on how much wealth we have.

From medieval kings in castles and peasant villages, to today’s wealthy suburbs and rural trailer parks, wealth has always created clear lines in society. Wealth concentrates in certain places, creating physical separation in which wealthy or poor folk rarely interact.

And throughout history, revolts and revolutions have often been driven by a clash between the haves and have nots.

Even today, wealth often determines who someone will marry or even hang out with it. Hierarchies based on wealth, unfortunately, are still quite common, whether we realize it or not.

I mean, 76 years after India banned discrimination based on its historical caste system, a social hierarchy often associated with wealth, the effects of the caste system are still deeply felt throughout the country.

I mean, some of the most common ways people are grouped in the media? Lower class versus middle class versus upper class. The working class versus the 1%. And let’s keep it real here. Those often creating this division are the wealthy…with their expensive private schools and gated communities. They ain’t letting just anybody hanging out at the country club.

#6 Political affiliation

We tend to divide ourselves based on our political views. (turning) (turning) Oh yeah, things are getting real now, son.

Indeed, political tribes have become some of the loudest ways we sort ourselves. In many countries, people now choose news sources, friends, and even dating partners based on political views.

First of all, we literally join teams in politics. Enter political parties. A “political party” is basically a big team that organizes to elect people to public office that generally share the same political views. Every country has them. Once someone adopts a political party’s identity, they often defend it even when specific policies shift. For example, I have family members who have been Republicans since the 1970s even though the Republican Party of the 1970s is clearly dramatically different from the Republican Party of the 2020s. Party becomes a social identity more than a pure policy checklist.

But political ideologies also cause us to join teams. Today within the Democratic Party, for example, there are more ideological factions, like the “liberal” faction and the “democratic socialist” faction.

Political divisions have always existed. What’s relatively new, though, is how thoroughly politics have seemed to take over everyday identity in many democratic countries. Constant media consumption has turned political affiliation into a near-constant social signal. In fact, modern political division is often less about specific policies and more about just dislike of the other side.

By the way, I’m the only one with correct personal political opinions.

#5 Religion

We tend to divide ourselves based on our religious beliefs.

It starts with the big questions. What’s the meaning of life? Is there an afterlife? What caused the beginning of everything? From there, it goes to core belief systems. You’ve got theistic religions (Christianity, Islam) in which a core belief is that there is one supernatural creator. You’ve got the polytheistic religions, in which a core belief is that there are multiple supernatural creators. You’ve got non-religious folks and atheists, or those who do not believe in a supernatural creator.

Within the major religions of the world, there are further splits occurring over the nature of the divine, leadership, prophecy, and salvation. These differences determine what people consider true, sacred, or forbidden. Different interpretations of sacred texts lead to up to hundreds or even thousands of different denominations within one major religion.

Religion isn’t only a belief, it’s also a visible behavior. Dietary rules, dress codes, prayer schedules, holiday celebrations, gender roles, and rules about marriage or sexuality create everyday distinctions. These practices make group membership easy to signal and hard to fake, buddy. For real. Try it. Religion frequently organizes your social life….who you marry, where you live, which schools your children attend, and which charities or mutual-aid networks you join.

Unfortunately, religious differences have fueled some of history’s deadliest conflicts. On the other hand, they’ve also created lots of solidarity, charity, and cultural achievement by uniting OTHER types of tribes. The intensity of the division tends to rise when religious identity overlaps with political power, ethnicity, or especially control of territory or resources.

The shared human tendency to seek both meaning and belonging makes these religious tribes powerful (turning) (turning) in fact, disagreements over what’s the ultimate truth make the boundaries between them quite durable.

#4 Age

We tend to divide ourselves based on how old we are (turning) (turning) or how old we like to think we are.

Most of our friends…the people we CHOOSE to hang out with…tend to be around the same age as us.

Societies mark clear lines for life stages (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, and old age) These are reinforced by laws (voting age, drinking age, age of consent, retirement age, mandatory schooling) and by institutions that treat people differently according to how many years they have lived on this planet. Crossing each threshold changes what you are allowed…or expected…to do.

Increasingly, we straight up be tribin’ out with generations. A social generation is all the humans born AROUND the same time AND who experienced pretty much the same culture growing up. And WHEN you were born has a bigger effect on WHO YOU ARE than even your own family…who raised you. No joke, man. Despite plenty of variation within generational groups, people born in the same broad era tend to share the same values, ethics, and worldview.

I mean think about it, we can’t go a single day without someone bringing up that Boomer or this Millenial or that Gen Alpha (looking around) Actually right now I seem to be mostly surrounded by Gen Z.

I go into more about why generations are such a big deal in this video. (looking over) If you haven’t watched that video yet, well that’s just sad. In fact, that’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard of. (looking in the other direction) Oh, well other than that. That’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.

Much of the generation divide is based on technology. Because each generation grows up with different technology, language, humor, music, dating practices, and even basic assumptions about privacy or work can feel alien across age lines. What one group sees as normal innovation, another may experience as loss of tradition or common sense. (looking around) Dang kids these days.

#3 Skin color

We tend to divide ourselves based on our skin tones. (turning) (turning) Ya know, how much melanin we generally have.

Yep, a biological trait caused by ultraviolet light from the sun and evolution has been one of the most persistent social sorting mechanisms in human history. Skin tone divisions intensified when humans began to travel long distances and begin to conquer and build empires. Groups that had previously been geographically separated came into sustained contact, but often under unequal power. And one way to justify that unequal power? (turning) (turning) Saying that people with different skin tones were inferior. That’s when humans created the idea of “race,” or a way to describe groups of people based on their physical traits. Now, there’s no biological basis for “race” whatsoever. To be absolutely clear here, throughout history, socially dominant groups typically created different “races” to justify them being at the top of the social hierarchy. Genetic diversity is actually greater WITHIN traditional racial categories than between them.

Because skin color is an immediate cue, it’s been a sadly common way we’ve divided ourselves up.

Today, categories based on skin color persist even as intermarriage and migration blur the edges.

#2 Sex and gender

We tend to divide ourselves based on our sex and gender.

First, there’s biological sex, you’ve got males and females. Typical development follows XY (male) or XX (female) chromosomes, with corresponding reproductive anatomy, hormone profiles, and secondary sex characteristics, although intersex biological variations for some do exist. Because biological sex is a fairly reliable, observable category, it’s recorded at birth and used in medicine, criminal justice systems, and sports leagues. Related to this, average physical differences tend to occur due to biological sex. For example, males tend to be taller and stronger, on average.

Most societies around the world have assigned somewhat different norms and expectations to males and females. (turning) Not saying that’s right or wrong, just stating a fact, here.

Now gender, on the other hand, is something we humans invented. A gender is a group association related to stuff a particular society ASSOCIATES with being male, female, or neither male nor female. That stuff being how we behave, how we express ourselves, our societal roles, etc. I’m cisgender, since my gender aligns with my sex assigned at birth. But there’s also transgender folks, or those whose gender is DIFFERENT from the sex assigned to them at birth, and nonbinary folks, or those who don’t strictly identify with EITHER male or female.

Modern Western societies have mostly relied on a strict gender binary, meaning everyone was either a man or woman. However, many cultures around the world have long recognized more than two genders.

And indeed, you can accurately predict a lot about a person based on their sex and gender. And yes, members of the same sex and gender often share the same interests, hold the same values, and spend a lot of time together. (turning) By the way, if you’re watching this video right now you probably identify as a male.

ONE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE WHEN TALKING ABOUT THIS TRIBAL CONNECTION COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHERS. Despite these HUGE tribes based on sex and gender, members of different sexes and genders regularly interact and hang out. And due to this, the different sexes and genders have a HUGE influence over one another.

I’m a male. Hey, did you know that? And for half of my life I mostly spent my free time with other males. (turning) (turning) But now I live with three females, and let’s just say I’m a changed man.

#1 Nation

We tend to divide ourselves based on our nationality. (holding up American flag) GOD BLESS THE USA (sing and bring the cringe)

And it’s kind of crazy that “nation” is in the number one spot because the idea of a nation is relatively new, but yeah, so many human beings today would literally die for their nation.

Nations are similar to ethnic groups in that they both involve identifying with a group based on the group’s common ancestry, history, and traditions. However, nations are more political…they generally want the same laws and form of government. Ya can’t say that about ethnic groups. I always think of this formula…ethnicity + politics = nation.

Please keep in mind that social scientists often argue about the correct definitions of “nations” and "ethnicities" are.

Regardless, we show national pride in sooo many freaking ways….flying our nation’s flag on porches, standing for the national anthem with a hand over the heart, painting faces and screaming at the World Cup or the Olympics as if the athletes were family. We mark calendars with independence days and veterans’ days, visit monuments and battlefields, quote founding documents, and get angry when we teach kids that our government did bad stuff in the past.

We wear the colors, eat “national” foods as if they were sacred, correct tourists who mispronounce our nation’s name, donate after disasters at home while staying cooler about disasters abroad, and argue fiercely about who counts as a “real” member of the nation. Even quiet habits count…. choosing the domestic brand, getting misty at a flyover, or simply saying “we” when talking about a government you personally never met.

To sum it all up, national identity OFTEN overrides individual identity these days.

Coin flip

In the 1970s, a scientist dude named Henri Tajfel wanted to see the absolute bare minimum it takes for humans to turn against each other, so he designed the ultimate test of tribalism: dividing participants into two random groups based purely on a coin flip. The participants had never met prior to the experiment, so had absolutely zero history, AND gained no personal reward from the experiment. And yet, when tasked with handing out real money, they consistently favored total strangers on their "coin flip team" over the other side. Even crazier, people routinely chose to make sure the gap between them and the other group was as wide as possible. It proved that humans don’t need deep-seated hatred, scarce resources, or decades of bad blood to act tribal. Our brains will invent an "us versus them" mentality out of literally nothing.

Dunbar’s Number

Throughout 95% of human history…aka the period of human history in which our ancestors were nomadic hunter-gatherers- our in-groups were MUCH smaller in size.

In the 1990s, another scientist dude named Robin Dunbar noticed a fascinating pattern in primates… the bigger an animal’s brain….specifically the neocortex, which handles complex thinking….the bigger its social group. Wait what? When he mapped human brain size onto that same evolutionary curve, the math predicted that humans can only comfortably maintain stable, meaningful relationships with around 150 people. Dunbar then checked the history books and data and found this magical number, now famously known as Dunbar's Number, kept popping up everywhere, from ancestral hunter-gatherer clans and ancient Roman military units to modern Christmas card lists and farming villages. Essentially, once a community passes about 150 folks, we physically can’t track everyone’s reputation through casual gossip anymore, which is why humans had to apparently create laws just to keep society from falling apart.

But hold up, today we have tribes WAYYYY bigger than 150 people (turning) (turning) so what the heck is up with that?

Well, before Dunbar, back in the 1980s there was yet ANOTHER scientist dude named Benedict Anderson who introduced the concept of "imagined communities" to explain how millions of total strangers could possibly feel like one unified nation. Since our brains can't personally know millions of people, a huge group has to exist as an idea in our head So uh yeah, it’s not technically "imagined" because it’s fake, but “imagined” ‘cause you’ll never meet most of your tribe, yet you still feel a deep comradeship with them.

It explains why this guy came up to me in Hawaii last year when he saw me wearing this Patrick Mahomes shirt (turning) (turning) Even though he didn’t know me, he felt comfortable approaching me because I was wearing this jersey. (turning) You see, we immediately connected because we were both Chiefs fans.

Anderson pointed out that the rise of mass-produced media in common languages allowed citizens across vast distances to consume the exact same stories at the exact same time. This daily, shared ritual made people realize they were moving through history together, successfully tricking our ancient tribal brains into treating an entire continent of strangers as our own extended family.

And this is what gives me freaking hope about the future of humanity.

Maybe, just maybe…one day humans will form just one tribe.

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But what about you? What are your tribes? Have you visited a member of a different tribe today? You should. I even talk to Raiders fans. And what about OTHER ways humans divide themselves up? I know many of you probably disagree with my top 10 list. Let me know your thoughts sending a transmission to space via satellite.