The Power of Us
Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A “fascinating” (Charles Duhigg) and “must-read” (Annie Duke) “page-turning package” (Publishers Weekly starred review) for understanding identity and showing how our groups have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behavior—and can inspire both personal change and social movements.
If you're like most people, you probably believe that your identity is stable. But in fact, your identity is constantly changing—often outside your conscious awareness and sometimes even against your wishes—to reflect the interests of the groups you belong to.
In The Power of Us, psychologists Dominic Packer and Jay Van Bavel integrate their own cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to explain how identity really works and how to harness its dynamic nature to:
Boost cooperation and productivityOvercome biasEscape from echo chambersBreak political gridlockFoster dissent and mobilize for changeLead effectivelyGalvanize action to address persistent global problems
Along the way, they explore such seemingly unrelated phenomena as why a small town in Germany spent decades divided by shoes, why beliefs persist after they are disproven, how working together synchronizes our brains, what makes selfish people generous, why effective leaders say “we” a lot, and how playing soccer can reduce age-old conflicts.
Understanding how identity works allows people to take control, moving beyond wondering, “Who am I?” to answer instead, “Who do I want to be?” Packed with fascinating insights, vivid case studies, and a wealth of pioneering research, The Power of Us will change the way you understand yourself—and the people around you—forever.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Psychologists Packer and Van Bavel explore "how the groups that people belong to become part of their sense of self" in this thought-provoking debut. Identities that come from groups—such as college alma maters and political parties—can influence how one makes sense of the world, the authors write: the way one sees, smells, tastes, and even does math is affected by the "identity colored glasses" one wears. Packer and Van Bavel use a variety of quirky examples and historical vignettes to make their point: in Herzogenaurach, a southern German town, citizens have defined themselves by the shoes they wear, and John F. Kennedy's decision-making process to move forward with the Bay of Pigs Invasion was a result of groupthink. Giving equal time to the detriments of identifying strongly with a group (such as political polarization and blind loyalty), as well as the benefits (solidarity and a shared sense of purpose), Packer and Van Bavel deliver a balanced assessment of the potential impacts identities play in even the most mundane activities. Providing a wealth of insight in a page-turning package, this timely survey hits the mark.
