Written by Mathew Naismith
“The individual has always had to struggle
to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely
often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the
privilege of owning yourself.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)
“All of us are born into a "tribal mentality" of
various forms. These include our family unit, religious background, country of
origin, ethnicity, etc. The tribal
mentality effectively indoctrinates an individual into the tribe's beliefs,
ensuring that all believe the same.”
I am actually an advocate for tribalism, but where all spirits
are of the same spirit no matter how individualistic or of one tribe one may
be. Materialism is of one tribe, but of different levels of rich and poor.
Spirituality is of one tribe, often seen as a separate tribe to materialism,
but of different levels of negative and positive, love and hate, etc.
They actually call this toxic tribalism.
“Demonization — This is the first and foremost
quality of someone who is toxically tribal. If there is any labeling of the
other group as being “stupid,” “evil,” “racist,” “demons,” “scum,” so on and so
forth then you can almost be sure that they are in the mindset of toxic
tribalism.”
I am not sure if I agree with separating various tribes into
toxic and non-toxic tribes myself, but I do understand that we are becoming
more of separate tribes than of one tribe. If we like it or not, we are all of
one tribe, either that be simply energy, the great spirit, of God, etc.
Before we are even born, our thoughts and actions are
determined by our environment to start with. Even when we think we are being an
individual, either an individual entity or group, were not as we are part of a
much greater environment. Even as individuals we are still of one tribe, not
individuals separate to the tribe. Yes, as individuals our environment is
different but as a tribe the environment is the same. We are simply interactive
energy, of one tribe no matter how individualistic our own environment may become.
The small picture is of the local environment and the big
picture is of the environment of all of what is. As the solar system governs
the Earth locally, the galaxy governs the solar system, as the universe governs
the galaxies, as the bigger picture governs the universe. It is the big picture
that governs the environment that governs how every other individual
environment interacts within its own local environment. We seem to be more than
ever only primarily interactive and even aware of the local environment we
create. As individuals we have created numerous environments, usually in line
with what we desire our environment to be of, all else of course being simply
of the separate and even opposing tribe of negativity!!
So why is this kind of mentality labeled toxic?
It actually comes down to abuse, the abuse of energy that
then creates an environment in relation or in line with the abuse. The abuse
being, for example; treating our local desired environment as being the
ultimate environment, the main tribe dominant or manipulative over all other
environments or tribes. An example of this, tribes of love or materialism being
the be and end all!!
Abuse can only be enacted in the presence of ignorance, and
in the absence of awareness. This doesn’t mean awareness is the be and end all.
I don’t think awareness is conducive or contributory to environments of
ignorance to start with!! Yes, even a pure state of awareness is not the be and
end all for all environment, but every environment is reliant on this state of
awareness, the big picture or environment, existence. Why? What would one be
ignorant of if there was nothing to be unaware of? Look at it this way, you can
become unaware of awareness or aware of unawareness but you can’t become
unaware of unawareness!! Yes, you can be
unaware of your own unawareness but to realize this takes states of awareness,
not unawareness.
You could call this state of pure awareness the tribe of all
tribes, but a tribe that will only influence other tribe’s environments, not to
try to become the most dominant tribe or environment. One tribe trying to dominate
all other tribes is simply abuse of energy, which of course creates an
environment in line with the abuse being implemented!! How? Residue or
pollution left over from abuse, similar to a child being abused and growing up
with the affects of such abuse. Pampering to a child’s whims is also a form of
abuse that can also lead the child to being abusive.
Try to remember, even a pure state of awareness is not a be and end all
to all other environments, even though all other environments rely on the existence
of this environment.
So yes, people like me advocate or promote tribalism but a
tribalism of universal oneness or consciousness, not a tribalism of
individuation that often leads to abuse of energy. I actually promote an
awareness of open honest truthfulness to the best of my ability; of course
people like me will be on the receiving end of abuse of individual tribalism of
their awareness being the be and end all over all other be and end all’s.
In my own mind, the big picture or main environments that
all other environments rely to exist is my primary environment, even though my
local environment is important and imperative to my physical existence. Within
a first nation tribe, is the squaw, warrior or even a chief more important than
the tribe itself? Now, in materialism
and western spirituality, what person has become most important, who is most of
the reflection on? The individual as an
individual within a tribe. The tribe is this case becomes subservient to
individualistic desires of individuals. The tribe only becomes a primary
concern when of servitude to the individual. Servitude is slavery, a high
degree of abuse of energy!!
Yes, in my mind the tribe has become the individual’s slave
to serve and only serve the individual, not the tribe as a whole, not a very
wise move in my mind.
