In a previous post I introduced the term Tribal Dynamics to represent a set of ideas I am developing about how to organize your social life to improve your happiness. Here I want to lay out a few key terms and how they relate to each other in the context of this philosophy.
Family (nucleus). This is the innermost level of your social structure, consisting of you and your spouse (and your children, as long as they are minors). The primary objective of the nuclear family is reproduction. The key dynamic of many nuclear families is the tension between Masculine/Feminine (i.e., the achievement orientation vs the risk orientation).
Team (inner circle). The team is set of core allies/partners. It is limited by the number of people with whom we can maintain intimate relationships (so probably between 2–10 people). The primary objective of a team is to make money (i.e., economic productivity). The key dynamic of a team is between the people orientation and the pattern orientation (social vs. intellectual). Like a nuclear family, a team functions better if it is based on a long term commitment.
Tribe (outer circle, company, or extended family). The Tribe is a group of people sharing similar values and a common network of relationships. In some cases, a tribe can be a network of teams. A tribe is limited on the high end by the number of people we can maintain as acquaintances, and on the low end by the smallest number of people that can satisfy our need for status (so, between about 50–500 people, with a mean of around 150 as in the famous Dunbar Number).
Symbiosis (synergy). This is the value that comes from engaging in close interactions with other people who are different. There are three pre-requisites to achieving optimal symmetry: commitment, commonality, complimentarity. Key examples of potential synergy are found in the relationship between masculine/feminine and social/intellectual.
Status. This is a component of happiness that is associated with achievement and recognition by a large audience (e.g., a tribe). Status is often represented by money. Achievement of status leads to a high life evaluation. The returns to status (e.g., money) are probably diminishing according to a logarithmic function.
Intimacy. This component of happiness is associated with having close relationships. Having secure intimate relationships leads to a feeling of emotional well being (i.e., as opposed to life evaluation). Thus, status and intimacy form the key happiness dyad.
Achievement Orientation (growth mindset). This is a way of approaching the world based on focusing on achievement and learning. It is largely driven by the chemical dopamine, which helps us focus on a goal and motivates us to action. The achievement orientation is also characterized by a tendency to minimize or ignore risks. Society tends to glorify the achievement orientation, which is an aspect of the patriarchal establishment.
Risk Orientation (threat sensitivity). This mindset is essentially the opposite of the achievement orientation. It is more often characterized by an awareness of threats, and is associated with a tendency toward negative emotionality (fear, anxiety, withdrawal). The risk orientation is driven by chemicals such as adrenaline, glutamate, and cortisol, and is moderated by seratonin. Women are often more sensitive to threats than men, and society tends to associate this personality with evil or mental illness. Achievement orientation and risk orientation form the primary dyad of personality. The risk orientation has also been associated with emotional volatility, but this may just be a side effect of the nature of threats (i.e., they arise unpredictably).
People Orientation (social). This is a tendency to try and achieve objectives by understanding and manipulating other people. The people orientation is impacted by the chemical oxytocin. In many cases, those with a people orientation appear more emotional, because one of the primary purposes of emotion is to influence others. The people orientation can be associated with either an achievement orientation or a risk orientation (i.e., positive and negative emotionality).
Pattern Orientation (intellectual). Pattern orientation is a focus on ideas and patterns rather than people. That is, those with a pattern orientation are more comfortable understanding and manipulating ideas and objects than other people.Together with the people orientation, it forms the second great dyad of personality.
Big Five Personality Characteristics. This is the most well accepted breakdown of personality groups that is supported by research. the groups are Openness/creativity, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (or threat sensitivity). I have previously associated the personality groups with roles that are important to have on a team. Above is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the personality groups/roles and the two primary dimensions of personality. The colors come from a rough correspondence between personality groups and the levels of Spiral Dynamics.
Hero’s Journey. This is a common theme in myths and stories that represents a key progression in a persons life. A simple form of the Hero’s Journey is that a person leaves the safety of a known environment, encounters obstacles in a new world, achieves some kind of power, overcomes a great challenge, and returns to their world to achieve their place. I include the hero’s journey here because that a young person must leave their Tribe and Family, learn who they are, in understanding themselves they gain power and are able to return by creating a new family and a new team, and assuming their place in the Tribe.
Economy. The global economy is a remarkably efficient system for creating goods and providing services, but it doesn’t necessarily provide what people really need to achieve happiness. Thus, the Family, the Team, and the Tribe should form a buffer between an individual and an uncaring world. The economy tends to reward growth oriented and balanced personalities (i.e., extroversion, intellect, industriousness, and agreeableness) but is not a welcoming environment for emotional threat sensitivity. Thus, many women in particular who have this personality type feel like impostors in an economic setting. Also, the economy is based on short and medium term contracts (e.g., vendor and employment contracts), and does not usually involve the kind of committed relationships that lead to true symbiosis. One aspect of the Hero’s journey is to leave the tribe and try to engage in the economy as an individual.
