Our Cultural Crisis Ep XI: How Loneliness Drives Tribalism (and Why We Are Obsessed with Hypocrisy)

A central feature of a moral culture—like ours—which has caved to mere “rule-keeping” is an obsession with calling out the hypocrisy of others. This is part of our culture’s tribalism. And yet this focus on hypocrisy is a symptom of a much larger sickness. In this episode, we explore how cynicism and loneliness ultimately drive tribalism and how our need to scapegoat hypocrites can be interrupted by compassion.