Derek Thompson

So Mark Dunkelman, who's a wonderful writer and researcher at Brown University, has this really lovely schema where he says that, ironically, this era of social isolation has actually deepened our relationships in two specific ways. In the so-called inner ring of family and friends, you know, you have—we were just talking about intensive parenting—

Intensive parenting is, to a certain extent, kind of extremely social if you consider sociality spending time with your kids and obsessing with your partner over how your kids should spend their time. We're much closer to our families, spend more time with our families than we used to. That's the inner ring. And there's a far outer ring that I think of as sort of tribe. It's easier for you.

Intensive parenting is, to a certain extent, kind of extremely social if you consider sociality spending time with your kids and obsessing with your partner over how your kids should spend their time. We're much closer to our families, spend more time with our families than we used to. That's the inner ring. And there's a far outer ring that I think of as sort of tribe. It's easier for you.

Intensive parenting is, to a certain extent, kind of extremely social if you consider sociality spending time with your kids and obsessing with your partner over how your kids should spend their time. We're much closer to our families, spend more time with our families than we used to. That's the inner ring. And there's a far outer ring that I think of as sort of tribe. It's easier for you.

You're a Nuggets fan. Is that right?

You're a Nuggets fan. Is that right?

You're a Nuggets fan. Is that right?

Yeah. Okay. It's easier for you.

Yeah. Okay. It's easier for you.

Yeah. Okay. It's easier for you.

Right. It's easier for you to follow other Nuggets fans. It's easier for you to contact reporters in Denver to ask, you know, what can the team do in order to build more talent around Jokic, who's just this generational star. You can follow the sport and follow people who share your ideological preferences in a dozen other ways or your aesthetic preferences.

Right. It's easier for you to follow other Nuggets fans. It's easier for you to contact reporters in Denver to ask, you know, what can the team do in order to build more talent around Jokic, who's just this generational star. You can follow the sport and follow people who share your ideological preferences in a dozen other ways or your aesthetic preferences.

Right. It's easier for you to follow other Nuggets fans. It's easier for you to contact reporters in Denver to ask, you know, what can the team do in order to build more talent around Jokic, who's just this generational star. You can follow the sport and follow people who share your ideological preferences in a dozen other ways or your aesthetic preferences.

You know, I don't know what kind of music you like, but I'll bet it's easier for you to follow people who listen to your type of music in a way you never could 40 or 50 years ago, right? You're like... You could DM writers at The Athletic to be like, I think you should write this about Jokic. These are relationships that weren't possible 50 years ago. So where does that leave us?

You know, I don't know what kind of music you like, but I'll bet it's easier for you to follow people who listen to your type of music in a way you never could 40 or 50 years ago, right? You're like... You could DM writers at The Athletic to be like, I think you should write this about Jokic. These are relationships that weren't possible 50 years ago. So where does that leave us?

You know, I don't know what kind of music you like, but I'll bet it's easier for you to follow people who listen to your type of music in a way you never could 40 or 50 years ago, right? You're like... You could DM writers at The Athletic to be like, I think you should write this about Jokic. These are relationships that weren't possible 50 years ago. So where does that leave us?

Where the inner ring of sociality for many people is stronger, that is close family, and the outer ring of sociality is stronger, of tribe. Well, it means that what's atrophying is the middle ring. And the middle ring, if we call the inner ring family and the outer ring tribe, that middle ring is village, right? We know our neighbors less. We know our cities less.

Where the inner ring of sociality for many people is stronger, that is close family, and the outer ring of sociality is stronger, of tribe. Well, it means that what's atrophying is the middle ring. And the middle ring, if we call the inner ring family and the outer ring tribe, that middle ring is village, right? We know our neighbors less. We know our cities less.

Where the inner ring of sociality for many people is stronger, that is close family, and the outer ring of sociality is stronger, of tribe. Well, it means that what's atrophying is the middle ring. And the middle ring, if we call the inner ring family and the outer ring tribe, that middle ring is village, right? We know our neighbors less. We know our cities less.

We know the people who live around us less. And one reason why I think that matters a lot for politics is being around people who aren't our family and don't share all of our ideological preferences like our echo chambers do, being around people that are around us but different I think, is a naturally moderating instinct.