Tribal Moments
link: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/alysa-liu-champion-who-cant-stop-smiling
Image from Getty Images NBC
That people are tribal is not a new revelation; it’s a basic human condition which exists in our DNA for reasons likely linked originally to survival. We can probably accept that when people were running around in loincloths and bearskins, it was a good idea to side with the people that looked like you and behaved similarly. It provided some degree of safety to be part of a supportive group in an otherwise hostile environment. You identified with your group. We all know of the mythic rivalry between the Hatfields and the McCoys, two rival Appalachian families who feuded for decades just because their names were different. The families of Romeo and Juliet; same thing.
On a much larger scale, we have always had divisions of populations based on such identifiers as religions, on ethnicity and race, on regions and nations and also based on ideology. History shows that the consequences of belonging and identifying with one group over another one can be serious and even fatal. Lots of wars have been fought based on the disputes both between and amongst such factions.
In today’s slightly more civilized world, these tribal instincts are manifest in less consequential but no less heated loyalties. Much of these tribal urges are now focused on sports. We all know of the rabid fans in the soccer world during the World Cup when national pride is contested on the soccer pitch. The activities of a nation can come to halt if a given nation’s team is a contender. Most recently, the huge commercial event known as the Super Bowl was held and partisan supporters of both teams displayed their fanatical devotion by paying exorbitant sums just to be present at the event and to buy and wear the partisan colors. This despite the fact that the lives of fans would not be affected in any meaningful way at all, regardless if their teams won or lost. It was just a tribal thing.
At the moment the 2026 Winter Olympics are being held in Italy and this is the proto-typical occasion to show tribal support for your people, which means for the most part, your country. People identify with these athletes only because they represent their tribe. If their athletes succeed, there is the notion of reflected glory for the fans of the nation, that they too are part of that athlete’s success. While it’s natural to root for your country, the feats of the athletes have little to do with their nations. It’s the result of years of dedicated effort to reach their level of competence. With that said, there can be no greater glory than to stand on the medal podium with your nation’s national anthem playing for everyone. When the American women’s hockey team won their gold medal, they all collectively stood and sang their national anthem. On the other hand, you could see the heartbreak in the faces of the Canadian team who came up short. It wasn’t just the loss, it was a loss for their nation. People vicariously live through these athletes representing their national pride. Nationalism and patriotism is still a strong binding tie for most populations which is why we witness so much backlash against the talented skier Eileen Gu who elected to compete for China instead of her native United States. The exact opposite was the affection for skater Alysa Liu who was unabashedly patriotic for the United States, a story which is more compelling given that her father is a refugee from China.
Unfortunately this notionally non-partisan world class sporting event is being used more and more as a political billboard for many participants. Certain among the American contingent have taken to use their 15 minutes of fame to criticize their own nation or to highlight issues that have nothing to do with competitive sports. The dynamic of the “me me me” mindset has unfortunately made its way into the arena of sports, a venue which is meant only to showcase the best talents of dedicated athletes. As the Dixie Chicks intoned years ago, ‘just shut up and sing’.