Tribe
On Homecoming and Belonging
by Sebastian Junger · first published 2016
69% recommend28% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, thought-provoking argument that modern society's loss of community and shared purpose feeds PTSD and alienation, and why people feel better in crises. Suits veterans' issues and belonging readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Combining history, psychology, and anthropology, Tribe explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning. It explains the irony that-for many veterans as well as civilians-war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. Tribe explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world.
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…maintain. Alternatively you can try to find work that is meaningful to you - perhaps at a nonprofit or government job, or by building your own company or organization. On a related note, I recommend reading Tribe by Sebastian Junger, which goes into great detail on how western society is arguably terribly unfulfilling.
on “Ask HN: Is it just me or do 99% of SWE jobs offers seem completely pointless?” ↗If you or anyone else is interested in this topic I strongly suggest the book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger. That book really made me think pretty hard about this stuff. It's also a short 180 pages.
on “The Internet of Beefs” ↗…there, many of them are just a few houses down from you. I can assure you, whatever hobby or interest you have, there are others that want to do it with you too. Find those people. Also read the book Tribe by Sebastian Junger.
on “Use Social Media Mindfully” ↗A recent book that explores the loss of community when combat veterans come home, and how this may contribute to PTSD: "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging" https://www.amazon.com/Tribe-Homecoming-Belonging-Sebastian-...
on “The Fighter” ↗I highly recommend the book “Tribe” by Sebastian Junger. He has also been a frequent podcast guest asked of his opinions on the recent school shooting trend. While Junger is not a classically trained psychologist, sociologist, or anthropologist…
on “Suicides Have Increased. Is This an Existential Crisis?” ↗The Righteous Mind by Johnathan Haidt Tribe by Sebastian Junger just put my full lists on medium: https://medium.com/@dopeshika/2018-in-books-startup-science-... https://medium.com/@dopeshika/2018-in-books-mind-consciousne...
on “Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?” ↗…years are playing games online together. I could get used to this; society feels too crowded and yet fragmented otherwise. But now it feels like we've come together as one big family. A related book is Tribe, by S. Junger, who suggests that people are happiest in difficult times, and all that is gone when society returns to normal.
on “Ask HN: How is everyone feeling?” ↗…Road, by Cormac McCarthy (Blood Meridian is better, stylistically, but changed me less as a person) The Alchemist and The Fifth Mountain, by Paulo Coelho The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Tribe, by Sebastian Junger
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗You might enjoy the book Tribe by Sebastian Junger. I think it underscores why people sometimes pine for the days that, on the surface, seem the roughest. Living in a poor community, or being in the military, or being in a conflict…
on “Tell HN: Turned 44 today and I'm lost” ↗If you're interested in reading more about this I highly recommend the book "Tribe" by Sebastian Junger - it goes into exactly what you say - why people sometimes feel better in a time of crisis. The main reason is the temporary flattening of social hierarchies and true meritocracy…
on “Why does culture get less happy year after year?” ↗I've recently finished Tribe by Sebastian Junger. I highly recommend it as well.
on “Terence Tao: The role of small organizations in society has shrunk significantly” ↗There's a whole book on this: Tribe, by Sebastian Junger.
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger.
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗This resonates a lot with my experience and reminds me of a short book I read by Sebastian Junger called Tribe. His focus is more on the tribal aspect of military life and that the disassociation with a close knit group or a tribe is part of what leads to PTSD as there are quite a few people who have been in the…
on “Older Americans are alone half their waking hours, on average” ↗…society and violence should also read "The World Until Yesterday" by Jared Diamond, "The Origin of Consciousness and the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind", "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, "Tribe" by Sebastian by Junger and " Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland". One problem with TFA, male Bonobos exist and do not act like male Chimps. Why? Furthermore,…
on “A new book argues that violence laid the foundation for virtue” ↗