The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast cover image

The Charles C. W. Cooke Podcast

Episode 81: Dumb Tribalism

Feb 13, 2025
Andrew Heaton, a comedian and host of The Political Orphanage, dives into his new book, *Tribalism is Dumb*. He examines the dual nature of tribalism, highlighting its community benefits versus its divisive political threats. He argues that technology plays a significant role in escalating political tribalism, creating more intense divisions. The conversation also touches on effective polarization and how social media influences confrontational behavior, all while suggesting ways to foster respectful political dialogues to bridge divides.
59:58

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Tribalism, while a natural human tendency, becomes problematic in politics by creating an 'us versus them' mentality that hinders rational discourse.
  • The rise of technology and social media amplifies partisan divides by rewarding extreme opinions and complicating the discernment of credible information.

Deep dives

The Nature of Tribalism

Tribalism is a natural human tendency that often manifests in partisanship and community loyalty. While community belonging is beneficial, the speaker discusses how tribalism can lead to detrimental outcomes, especially in political contexts. This reflexive partisanship encourages people to form adversarial relationships with opposing groups, fostering an 'us versus them' mentality. Ultimately, this instinctive behavior is difficult to eradicate since it is deeply ingrained in human history and psychology.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode