Off the Shelf Beliefs

On thing that tribes have to be conscious of are “off the shelf” beliefs.  These are the ideas that other people have developed. Those ideas are not always bad.  Many of the ideas that I am sharing here in this blog are inspired by others.  The thing that we must be careful of is not allowing the tribe to shape those ideas.  Sometimes certain tribes take a belief to an extreme and in turn it becomes for lack of a better word, a cult.

Anytime that we choose to follow a belief blindly, we are in danger of becoming a tribe that is dangerous.  Hitler was a charismatic leader who had a great vision for his country.  The only problem was his belief structure about how to achieve that greatness was filled with murderous intent.  Many of his fellow countrymen grabbed ahold of his beliefs and followed blindly.  As a result he lead his country on path of destruction that ultimately devoured him, his country, and ripped a hole in all the nations on earth.  Unfortunately the legacy of his beliefs are still felt by many people on earth today.

While most tribes are not as destructive as the one that Hitler assembled, they can have a localized legacy of pain and emotional breakdown.  I have seen many people who have been a part of churches, companies, and even families who have been left in the wake of a belief system that required its members to follow along blindly never questioning the belief structure.

A tribe that does not allow input from its members is always in danger of falling into this trap.  When beliefs are too limiting or extremely exclusive they can be dangerous.  This is not to say that beliefs aren’t limiting or exclusive, but tribes need to be aware of who they are excluding.  If you have a tribe that says Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best, that is their belief.  That could exclude certain people who prefer Hagen-Daaz or Blue Bell, but it doesn’t exclude members based on what type of Ben and Jerry’s someone might like.

Be aware that just because you belong to tribe, doesn’t mean that you have to follow or lead blindly.  You do have a mind and your opinions do matter. If they don’t, consider finding a new tribe or starting your own.