Why do we instinctively form groups, follow leaders, and defend traditions—even when it hurts us? Columbia professor Michael Morris joins us to explore the three tribal instincts—peer, hero, and ancestor—that shape how we cooperate and clash. From case studies at GM and Reddit to the surprising origins of Thanksgiving, we uncover how culture evolves—and how understanding it can make us better leaders, change-makers, and collaborators.
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
Topics[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Michael Morris
[6:19] Understanding the Importance of Tribes
[15:05] Peer Instinct and Early Human Coordination
[21:09] Hero Instinct and Status-Seeking Behavior
[29:50] Bottom-up vs. Top-down Cultural Change
[37:58] Case Studies: GM and Reddit
[52:30] Desert Island Music
[56:49] Grooving Session: Applying Tribal Instincts to Leadership
©2025 Behavioral Grooves
LinksTribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together by Michael Morris
Join the Behavioral Grooves community
Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube
Music LinksPopular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.