Tribalism Destroys Artists
The purpose of a tribe is to prop up lies in order to give them seeming validity—that’s it, that’s the whole reason. Its foundation, its ethos, is that if all of us can simply believe certain non-truths hard enough, they will gain some semblance of truth. Actual truths don’t require tribes—and since ‘beauty is truth, [and] truth beauty’ (as the classic Keats line goes) beauty doesn’t need tribes either. As such, you should be wary whenever you encounter tribes of artists—something is always amiss.
Artists are united only in their shared experience as fervent individualists trying to live freely in the face of an oppressive machine which seeks to crush them. At first glance, it might make sense to want to unite artists—but a modicum of thought leads one to realize that the artist’s experience is simply the human experience—all humans are united in that same way. To call that a ‘tribe’ would be misleading, as we’re talking about fundamental human rights—there is no lie in need of propping up, only cold hard truths about what living requires.
I have seen—and in moments of weakness and naivety, been swept up by—many attempts to unite certain artists under one tribal umbrella, whether that be through a particular nonsense word to all call ourselves, or a collective, or a commune, or whatever. It is always tribalism though, whether it is intended as such or not—and it is always corrosive. The warm embrace you feel from the group dynamic easily becomes a dogpile the moment you stray from the tribe’s wholecloth orthodoxy by realizing, and spouting, any actual truths. Truth is the enemy of the tribe—any tribe. You will never be more hated than when you are right. Those who are under a spell despise those who are anti-illusion.
Every artist experiences haters, but there are no haters quite like those who still belong to the tribe you either fled or were excommunicated from. You see this everywhere, from religious or political fanaticism to High School cliques—the common denominator being the desire of power not through knowledge, but through consensus. ‘If everyone would just think the same, rather than critically, everything would be fine!’ Peace through conformity.
As I am attacked from time to time, consider the source, and consider what I exist in opposition to. I hate lies, and I particularly hate ‘group lies’—the lies that arise from groupthink. This has cost me friendships, colleagues, endorsements, opportunities—you name it. But it is worth it. I have truth, I have beauty. That is all I need.
If you enjoyed this piece, and you enjoy my films, consider supporting my film studio, Kill The Lion Films, at $2 per month.