Insights from "The Power of Us" Book Club
Issue 162: We visited a book club and share some of the insights (and a video) from the event
One of our greatest joys is learning about new communities that are using our book to teach a class, change an organization, design a new project, or simply discuss as part of a book club. Last month, Jay visited the Book Club of the National Institute of Social and Affective Neuroscience at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in Brazil, led by Professor Paulo Boggio. The event was organized by Lorenzo Fantazzini Reichter and he kindly shared some of his reflections from the book club discussion for our newsletter below.
If you want to use our book in your class or organize a book club, fill out this form and we can share a bunch of educational materials that we created. We also created a free syllabus you can use to enrich your own learning or use in any educational setting. We also visit a few classes and book clubs every year. Start your own—it’s a great way to deeply understand ideas and might even help make a dent in the loneliness epidemic!
Reflections from the Book Club
“Social media algorithms favor inflammatory language and moral outrage, but this often compromises the accuracy and reliability of information.” That is what Professor Jay Van Bavel, co-author with Dominic Parker, of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony stated. He joined the book club and answered questions about the roles of identity, social norms, media, and intergroup dynamics in shaping society. The debate explored the practical implications of this research and how these ideas can be applied to contemporary challenges in science, communication, and social cohesion. Below are some key points raised during the discussion:
Social Media and the Challenge of Credibility
Jay commented that, on the internet, the posts that usually go viral are those that employ inflammatory and moral language, where the author seeks to humiliate the opponent and create enemies. Although he and Dominic could have adopted this strategy to gain followers more quickly, they preferred a longer-term approach committed to more ethical science communication, using language accessible to lay audiences and based on evidence. Thus, even without resorting to the sensationalist tactics that often attract immediate attention, they gradually build credibility and earn the trust of their followers.
How Social Norms Influence Intergroup Cooperation
Promoting cooperation among groups with different identities built around shared social norms—without compromising each group’s identity—can be challenging. However, sharing a sense of identity makes individuals care about something larger than themselves. Once this strong sense of identity is formed, it is essential to create healthy and constructive norms; otherwise, one risks forming cult-like groups, fostering intergroup violence, or generating polarization. To address this, encouraging healthy dissent is desirable. This means ensuring that ideas are challenged, improved, and replaced when necessary—something that requires psychologically safe spaces, where people can express criticism without fear of reprisal.
While healthy dissent is key to refining ideas, cooperation is essential for putting them into practice. Problems like climate change, pandemics, and nuclear security demand collective efforts, as no single country can tackle them on its own.
The Power of Storytelling in Changing Attitudes
Storytelling plays a crucial role in bringing people together. Our brains evolved long ago, when early humans lived in small groups and communicated not online or through scientific articles, but by sharing personal narratives around a campfire. This evolutionary history still influences how we understand and address social problems today.
Although many believe that fact-based arguments are the most effective way to persuade others on divisive topics such as abortion or gun rights, sharing personal experiences and stories has a much greater impact—particularly when it involves some type of harm or loss. Simple narratives can help those on opposing sides see each other as more rational, narrowing the distance between “us” and “them” when seeking solutions to societal problems. In the context of science communication, we might anchor our narratives in evidence, helping people recognize the credibility behind the story.
Navigating Polarization with Pluralism
We now live in more pluralistic societies than ever. In our daily lives, we constantly interact with people of different ethnicities, religions, nationalities, belief systems, and political orientations. Yet this diversity has also led to significant challenges, such as increased polarization. In light of this, an essential question arises: how can we promote the acceptance of diversity and inclusion in workplaces, classrooms, and social movements?
To tackle this question, Jay proposes two active strategies to reduce social distancing and foster more productive dialogue:
The first is to seek common ground: a person’s identity consists of many traits beyond those presented at first. A good way to lower people’s defenses is to actively listen to who they are, so you can find shared points that allow both sides to engage in open-minded dialogue.
Second, challenge stereotypes: interacting with people from different groups is one of the most effective ways to break down stereotypes. Often, we see others through generalized labels that do not reflect their individuality. In reality, very few people fully match the stereotypes of the groups to which they belong. Direct contact reveals the diversity within groups, helping us form a more realistic and less rigid perception. Research finds that these interactions reduce prejudice and promote empathy, as they help us find common ground and better understand differing perspectives.
Polarization and intergroup conflicts are not inevitable. Strategies such as finding common ground and challenging stereotypes can break down barriers and create an environment where disagreements co-exist with mutual respect and learning. This requires cultivating curiosity about others, rather than reinforcing narrow, limiting views.
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Advice for Young Researchers
Finally, the conversation addressed what it means to make a meaningful contribution to academia. One key lesson is that finding a research focus that genuinely sparks your interest is essential. A scientific journey involves failures, critiques, and constant revisions, but working on something personally meaningful makes these challenges more bearable. Participants also reflected on the value of accepting constructive criticism, not as a personal attack, but as an opportunity for intellectual growth.
Follow INCT-SANI on Instagram, X, BlueSky, and TikTok for more highlights from the conversation with Professor Jay Van Bavel.
News and Updates
Jay was recently interviewed for Time Out magazine to help answer the question “Is movie theater etiquette the worst it’s ever been?” Here is what he had to say, let us know what you think:
We live in the most distracted time in human history,’ says Jay Van Bavel, professor of psychology at New York University. ‘Our brains did not evolve for this. The technology is incredibly recent and we don’t have the self-regulatory capacity to manage it very well.’ By carrying our phone-checking habits into the cinema, we risk breaking social contracts as well as our neighbours’ immersion.
There’s a cost for phone users, too. ‘When we switch between tasks such as watching a film and scrolling Instagram, says Van Bavel, ‘memories don’t congeal in our hippocampus’. The more we divide our attention in the moment, the less we remember.
It’s worse if we’re not just consuming content, but actively producing it. TikTok is awash with videos shot during screenings: clips of movies; reaction videos; critical accounts of singing during Wicked; celebratory accounts of singing during Wicked…
‘Social media colonises our minds,’ adds Van Bavel. ‘Once you start thinking through the lens of creating content, you start filtering your experiences, looking for things to capture, rather than experiencing things more organically.’
Catch up on the last one…
Jay shared lessons about successful teamwork after putting his own lab to the test in the TeamMachine activity, facilitated by teamwork consultant Laura Kriska.
Four Things Successful Teams Do Differently
We write a lot about cooperation & team performance, but talk is cheap. It is easier than ever to talk about how your team or organizational culture is excellent. There is an endless stream of this type of commentary on podcasts, social media, and conference stages.