The Michael Shermer Show Tribes, Teams, and Cults: How Groups Shape What We Believe
9 snips
Nov 11, 2025 
Colin M. Fisher, an Associate Professor at University College London and a former jazz trumpet player, delves into group dynamics and creativity. He explores how our need to belong can lead to dangerous conformity, discussing topics like political polarization, dehumanization, and optimal team sizes for innovation. Fisher also highlights the importance of fostering psychological safety in teams and shares insights on what distinguishes a healthy group from a cult. His intriguing perspectives bridge the gap between music and organizational behavior.
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Polarization Fuels Escalation
- Polarization increases in-group conformity and paints the other side as homogeneous and dehumanized.
- That dynamic fuels revenge psychology and makes violent escalation hard to reverse.
Attention Pushes Norms Toward Extremes
- Social attention favors slightly more extreme voices that confirm our views, amplified by platform algorithms.
- That shifts perceived norms and pushes the visible mean toward polarization.
Dehumanization Is Effortful Not Automatic
- Dehumanization is a motivated process that our brains must activate; it's not the default.
- That means dehumanization can be turned off but is dangerous once maintained by group norms.
