The truth shall set you free

The tagline on this forum used to quote Jesus and say "The truth shall set you free".

Whether right leaning or left leaning...

Is there any point where our allegiance truth overrides our allegiance to tribe?

Do we question the sources of information that agree with our viewpoint?

Does truth no longer matter when there is politics involved?

How do we hold our sources of information accountable even if they misrepresent the truth so that it agrees with our view?

9 essential lessons from psychology to understand the Trump era

 

These are some great examples of tribalism at work. Our first instinct is to look for tribal affiliation to determine our response to something. It is a great shortcut to actually processing and dealing with truth that may be uncomfortable.

From the original article.

 

How do you know that to be true? Have you read a single post here from me about Hillary? I have a hard time recalling one. The one I do recall said something to the effect of "I understand why folks might feel she is an unacceptable option for president".

But because I am critical of Trump I must have liked Hillary?

Again why are we using tribal affiliation as a proxy for truth?

 

It isn't. Liking or disliking Hillary has nothing to do with tribalism. But if you dislike her just because she is on the other tribe from you and your tribe tells you to dislike her, that is tribalism. If you dislike her for what she says and does (not by your tribe thinks she says and does) that is not tribalism.

Voting habits don't make someone tribal. Being human does. Tribalism is a natural human characteristic that interferes with our ability to see the truth.

Democrats are no more my tribe than Hutu rebels. I am not affiliated with any US political group.

 

No need to apologize. It highlights the point I am trying to make. You think I am from a different tribe from you and in your mind that tribe is democrat and has all these other associations. Instead of actually finding out the truth, we use shortcuts and assumptions that are usually false.

I thank you for helping me illustrate my point.

 

Tribalism applies to republicans, democrats, Indians, swedes, women, transgender, union workers, lawyers, North Sydneysiders, Innerwest Sydneysiders, independent fundamentalist baptists, charismatic evangelical catholics, Sunni muslims all human groups. It applies to all groups I affiliate with as well. Recognizing it is a big step in minimizing its impact on our ability to understand others and the world.

 

There is nothing inherently wrong with being part of a tribe. It is part our human and spiritual need for community and belonging. It is also important in democracy to understand how our different tribes think and interact with each other because we associate with a greater tribe of our nation and it is better for everyone to be at peace than civil war.

What is problematic is when we no longer communicate with the "other" and are incapable of understanding them except through the lens of our tribe. And when leaders instead of understanding differences in tribe to encourage unity, fuel those differences to foster dissent. It is a recipe for war and maybe that is going to be what it takes for this all too familiar human pattern to change.

 

I agree. That is what Putin's approach to the western world is. Divide, fuel dissent, encourage allies to hate each other. It is working fabulously.

I am trying to encourage us to look beyond our tribes to the truth. It helps that we have a common tribe of Christian and allegiance to Christ that should override our other allegiances but rarely does in reality.