The Power of Us

**As featured on The Oprah Podcast, NPR’s Hidden Brain, and in The New York Times**

A “fascinating” (Charles Duhigg) and “must-read” (Annie Duke) book about WHAT we believe and HOW we experience the world is shaped by WHO we’re around – and how to use that insight to rebuild the trust our institutions, workplaces, and communities depend on.

Why has it become so hard to disagree without contempt? Why do smart, well-intentioned people slide into hostility toward neighbors, colleagues, and strangers online—often without realizing it?

In The Power of Us, psychologists Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer offer a surprising answer: the same psychology that lets us love our families, rally behind causes, and build great teams is the psychology that turns disagreement into contempt. Group identity is the engine of human cooperation—and, left unexamined, the engine of incivility. Understanding how these dynamics work is the first step to changing them.

Drawing on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience, Van Bavel and Packer show how a clearer view of identity can help you:

•    See past your own hidden biases and make better decisions
•    Build trust and cooperation across lines of difference
•    Escape echo chambers and resist groupthink
•    Lead more effectively by harnessing the power of “we”
•    Disagree honestly—without escalating division

Along the way, the book reveals why people cling to false beliefs even after they’ve been disproven, how a shift in identity can turn selfish individuals into generous collaborators, why shared experiences bind us so powerfully, and how modern technology is quietly reshaping who we think we are.
 

At a moment when contempt too often feels like the default setting of public life, The Power of Us explains how people actually think—and how you can bring out the better instincts in yourself and those around you.

** Recipient of the William James book award from the American Psychological Association and the Social Impact book award from the Center for Moral Understanding **
 

• The Power of Us is a fascinating journey into the science of identity. If you've ever struggled to understand why people join cults or mindlessly conform — or, have wondered how to build great teams and influence better choices, this is the book you need. It is a practical, entertaining and, above all, vital guide to human behavior.
  Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power Of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
• “Better than I have ever seen, The Power of Us assesses the influence of tribalism on our actions and specifies ways to turn the force from destructive to constructive. A truly important book.”
  Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion
• "As American politics shifts from fights over ideology and policies to conflict over basic identities, we increasingly need help from social psychologists to understand what is going on. The Power of Us is an excellent resource in filling this urgent need."
  Francis Fukuyama, author of Identity
• “The Power of Us is a must-read for understanding the deep impact our social nature has on our decision-making. Van Bavel and Packer take the reader on a fascinating journey through the science of identity, showing how our shared affiliations can both make us susceptible to groupthink and be a force to improve our decisions…if we know how to harness it.”
  Annie Duke, author of How to Decide and Thinking in Bets
• "The Power of Us is brilliant, entertaining, and necessary. Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer explore humanity's complex relationship with identity through research that examines how an individual's self is derived from their social groups –– challenging our understanding of power and influence all while offering relevant ways for how we can use their findings to our advantage."
  Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
• "In the 21st century, politics and social life have shifted to become ever more about identity. Those who read this book will understand the deep psychology of identity, and will therefore be less bewildered and more successful—not just in politics but in leadership of any kind, and even in the whirling identity pool of social media."
  Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind, co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind
• “Providing a wealth of insight in a page-turning package, this timely survey hits the mark.”
  Publishers Weekly (starred review)
• “The Power of Us compellingly debunks many of the myths that have arisen not only around social identity research but also around social psychology as a whole. Of these, the most enduring are those that paint groups as inevitable sites for corruption of self and loss of reason. The triumph of this book is how it shows that this framing is not only wholly wrong but also dangerously misleading…if we are to have functional and resilient organizations, institutions, and societies, we must understand and draw from the power of the collective mind.”
  Science
• “Riveting and revelatory, splendidly written and filled with fascinating studies, The Power of Us shines a new, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful light on so much that is confusing and dismaying about our fraught world today.”
  Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations
• “Who am I? Is there anyone who hasn't asked themselves this question? But Jay Van Bavel and Dominic Packer have not only asked themselves this question, they've studied the psychology of identity for years and, as leaders in the field, have produced an authoritative guide that is remarkably accessible, actionable, and a pure joy to read!”
  Angela Lee Duckworth, author of Grit