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The need for belonging, acceptance, and approval are ubiquitous, but the line between normal conformity and mob zealotry can, at times, be thin.

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Alienated youth may search for substitute families and belonging by joining gangs, cults, or extremist groups and may subsequently undergo indoctrination which spurs them to commit acts of hate and terror.

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Honor among Thieves (Cultural Contexts)

Most people search for social bonds, even to the point of risking their lives. Nationalist movements, sports teams, and political parties can become pseudo-family for people. Loyalty is required for membership. Even the most antisocial people can act out a social contract with other members of their group. Violent or antisocial men, including gang members and mercenaries, often have strong feelings of loyalty toward other members of their own groups, and view them as family. Both the Mafia and the police enforce strict codes of honor for their members. Gangsters view betrayal by a “made man” as the worst of moral “sins.” Cops protect each other against police department Internal Affairs Division investigations.

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Friend or Foe? A Paleolithic Legacy

Our evolutionary heritage predisposes us to label others as either members of our group or outsiders. Tribal categories can expand when small groups join forces against a bigger enemy or cooperate to survive. Under threat, a group can become strongly polarized, dividing the world into “Us and Them.” The human is also capable of overcoming this narrow identification with one’s own “tribe.” A person can have an expanded identification with others to include a much larger group (i.e., all of humanity, all living creatures, etc.)