Belonging

Tribe. Posse. MC. Squad. Homies. Set. Gang. Clique.

The greatest desire is the desire to belong. To know you have their back and they have yours. The group is purpose, it is identity, it is strength. It is a shared history and defined future.

Belonging can be more powerful than hunger or thirst or safety. Maybe even more powerful than lust, although the group can be a means to satisfy that need as well. For some, belonging can even mean the deliberate choice to accept risk over safety. Extreme sports, violent gangs, religious extremists all chose to belong over choosing to be safe.

Organizations that create a tribe harness a terrific power. But, as with all power, it is difficult to control. And when the organization loses control of the tribe they create they can be crushed by the result.