Diverse Tribes
I often hear that people are worried that the world is becoming too tribal.
They say we’re moving away from a common humanity – that nations and cultures are becoming insular and divided.
But there’s power in the diversity of our tribes. I’ve always believed that the strength and breadth of that range is the very thing that can create that common humanity.
MY ANCESTORS
I’m lucky to have come from a family of entrepreneurs.
A family of entrepreneurs from Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania. A family of bakers, textile salesmen, and restaurant operators.
A family of hardworking men and strong women. A family devoted to faith and charity, with a deep belief in freedom, equality, and human rights.
Their roots are my roots. So the story of my ancestors is the story of everything I believe in – everything I’ve done, and everything I’ll do in the future.
MY FAMILY
The nuclear family is evolving. And I’m a part of that evolution.
As people continue to live longer, it’s an evolution that makes sense. The world is creating new opportunities for both partners in a marriage, and that means we’re beginning to redefine what a successful partnership is all about.
As a divorced father of two amazing young adults, I continue to co-parent with the wonderful mother of my children – and I’ve also moved on to create a new partnership to continue my own later stage adult life.
MY LOCAL AND GLOBAL TRIBES
I believe in community – both physical and virtual.
I believe in tribes, too, but I also believe that if you want to flourish you need to be exposed to and integrated with a number of diverse tribes, both near your home and across the globe.
That’s how I continue to learn and grow. I’m lucky to have friends and tribes in countries all over the world – from ex-convicts and world leaders to CEOs and political activists. We’re all equal, and we all have something to share.
NO BORDERS, NO BOUNDARIES
The world is full of artificial borders.
We put up boundaries and obstacles so that different tribes can’t get in. We fabricate borders and create gated communities. We build hierarchies into organisations, and we tell people the rules they have to follow. But the system we’ve built was made for another time.