Why do humans behave like walking group projects-sometimes brilliant, sometimes ridiculous, and always tribal?
The Tribal Mirror: Why We're All a Little Narcissistic
takes readers on a lively, humorous, and thought-provoking journey into the psychology of tribes, empathy, and the fragile pride that shapes modern life. Drawing from evolutionary science, social psychology, and history, Rex Nihilo reveals how our "tribal brain" helped small groups survive on the savannah but now struggles in a world of nations, algorithms, and billions of strangers.
Blending storytelling, comedy, and cutting-edge research, the book explores:
The roots of tribal behavior
: from gossip around the campfire to the Dunbar Number.
The dangers of collective narcissism
: why groups crave recognition and lash out when they don't get it.
Empathy's double edge
: humanity's greatest superpower-and its surprising backfires.
The art of listening and contact theory
: how structured dialogue can turn rivals into neighbors.
History's experiments in reconciliation
: from South Africa to Northern Ireland to Rwanda.
The possibility of enlightened tribalism
: belonging without hostility, pride without paranoia.
With warmth, wit, and a knack for turning research into unforgettable stories, Nihilo argues that the survival of our species no longer depends on being the fittest but on becoming the wisest.
At once entertaining and urgent,
invites readers to laugh at our absurdities, learn from our history, and imagine a future where our tribes build bigger fires without burning the world down.