Tribalism and its Cures - Thoughts from Sarajevo

A haircut in Sarajevo left me ruminating on the dangers of tribalism and nationalism. Anyone who understands history will find this clear. What can we do individually to combat this trend? Besides political action we can work to change ourselves and have that change radiate out to our friend groups and community. 

Some of the ways to break down the mental borders of tribalism are:

• Travel - Not sitting in the cocoon of a resort, but real engagement with different seeming people that widen perspective. 
• Read - Studies have shown that reading fiction makes us more empathetic.
• Shatter stereotypes in conversation - If you are part of a convo where a statement is dropped like, "Mexicans are XYZ" there is an opportunity to cast immediate doubt on the declaration and diffuse it. Silence allows it to pass into the minds of all those listening. Challenge this lazy thinking by offering counterexamples. Or you could use Socrates' trick and see if the speaker can offer his/her own counterexample, "Do you know any Mexicans who are not XYZ?"
• Go on an introspective journey to root out irrational fears - The Oracle of Delphi in Greece declares, "Know Thyself". The greatest journey we can go on is not of career or airline miles, but one into our own psyche. This takes a lot more courage than any other kind of trip. Some people who will do anything to avoid it. We all suffer from irrational fears about each other and scarcity. What lies inside that dark cave is the ultimate cure.