Episode Details

In this episode of the Mark Edge Show, Mark sits down with comedian and author Andrew Heaton to discuss his new book, Tribalism is Dumb: Where It Came From, How It Got So Bad, and What to Do About It — a book Mark calls the best he's read in a decade. Blending Douglas Adams-style wit with serious anthropological and evolutionary research, Heaton explains why humans are innately tribal, why political parties have become the "last tribe standing" as other community and identity groups have eroded, and why technology — especially social media — is likely the real culprit behind the last two decades of escalating partisanship. The conversation also digs into the difference between authoritarian and pluralist impulses, why the left-right axis fails to capture what's actually going on in politics, and why politics brings out the worst in people when it becomes a replacement religion. Grab Tribalism is Dumb on Amazon or Audible (the audiobook is performed by Heaton himself and highly recommended). #markedge #markedgeshow