Why Human Groups Split and Fight Each Other

Two apes tricked into fighting eachother by a false accuser monkey.

Research suggests that human groups split and fight due to evolved psychological mechanisms—particularly in men—shaped by intergroup competition for mates, territory, and status, which promote ingroup loyalty and outgroup aggression as adaptive strategies for survival and reproductive success[4].

The male warrior hypothesis, supported by evolutionary psychology research, suggests that men have evolved psychological mechanisms to support and defend their ingroup when facing threats. This leads to increased cooperation within groups and aggression toward outgroups, particularly other men, as part of reproductive and resource competition. Men tend to show stronger ingroup favoritism, outgroup hostility, and coalition-building in response to intergroup threats, motivations deeply rooted in evolutionary history and physiological factors such as testosterone levels.[1][4][6]

However, war and organized armed conflict are not universal human traits but rather emerged more recently due to social changes that facilitate collective violence through enhanced motivation and organization. Human behavior combines tendencies for both violence and exceptional cooperation, contributing to the complicated nature of intergroup conflict.[8][9]

Key factors driving human conflicts include:

Identity and Belonging: Humans seek group membership to foster a sense of community, often pitting “us” against “them” to maintain group cohesion.
Competition for Resources: Limited vital resources fuel tensions and conflicts as groups strive to ensure survival and welfare.
Power Struggles: Contests for control over people, territories, or leadership spark conflicts.
Ideological Differences: Divergent values and beliefs regarding religion, politics, or social norms can cause divisions and hostility.
Fear and Threat Perception: Perceiving unfamiliar groups as threats leads to defensive and exclusionary behaviors, reinforcing group divisions.

Although humans are capable of peace and cooperation, opportunistic individuals or groups exploit these divisions through deception, widening conflicts and wars, including proxy wars. This underscores the crucial role of critical thinking and education in mitigating societal conflicts.

This synthesis reveals how evolved male warrior psychology, cultural dynamics, and social factors converge to shape human group conflicts, emphasizing both the origins of division and the potential for peace-building.

References:

Male warrior hypothesis: men’s evolved psychology for coalition formation and intergroup aggression driven by reproductive and resource competition[4][6][1]
Armed conflict as a recent social development, not innate human nature[8]
Human evolution combining violent and cooperative traits influencing intergroup dynamics[9]
Evolutionary and social drivers of human group conflict[10]

Why Human Groups Split and Fight Each Other

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