The Shadow of Tribalism

Humans evolved in small tribes where preference for kin ensured survival. This instinct remains powerful—we naturally favor those who resemble us, share our background, or benefit our position. Favoritism weaponizes this ancient impulse, using it to justify exclusion and hierarchy. Rabia encountered this in religious contexts: scholars favored wealthy patrons, communities protected their own while ignoring widows and strangers. She taught that spiritual maturity means expanding the circle of belonging beyond tribal boundaries. The shadow work involves recognizing our tribal pulls without being enslaved by them. We notice: Do we favor people who look like us, speak like us, share our background? Do we gravitate toward those who increase our status? Do we unconsciously exclude those outside our chosen circle? This awareness creates choice. In modern workplaces, tribalism manifests as old-boys' networks, racial/gender in-grouping, and credential-based cliques. In families, it appears as favoring children who match our dreams over those who disappoint us. Rabia's path asks us to grow beyond these impulses without denying their reality. The practice: Name your tribes honestly. Where do you naturally gravitate? Who falls outside your circle of easy welcome? What would it cost to extend genuine belonging there?