How the World (and Your Own Mind) Works: Social Identity Theory

'I don't want to f*ck Social Identity Theory...but it is beautiful.'(Wo)man is a social animal: we spend a lot of our time with- or thinking about- other people. But in fact the dynamics of what happens when individuals get together in groups is so vastly important that it shapes the entire world: it shapes our societies, our politics, our cultures, our friend groups, our day to day lives, and- in a hundred different ways- our very selves. No single theory can capture everything about how the world and our minds work, that's undeniable, but SIT tells us so, so much that I can reasonably be shamefully clickbait-y anyway.This episode is a journey through human evolution, cultural norms, stereotypes, human cognition, bias, hierarchies, prejudice, discrimination, identities, self-esteem, and what makes youyou. Why do we need other people so much? What happens to us when we're around other people? Do other people define who 'we' are? How do humans think- and hate? Why do stereotypes, bias, prejudice, and discrimination exist? And can we stop it?This is one of those videos that could potentially change your whole worldview. So tune in, relax, and enjoy me performing the same overly-caffeinated hand gestures for 99 minutes. Enjoy!