Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

The book often contrasts eudaimonic wellbeing and hedonistic wellbeing. How may pursuing purpose benefit a tribe, and how may it hurt them? Is it possible for a tribe to succeed solely by pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain? Is it possible to strike a productive balance between the two, and are there any real-world examples of such a group?

What would the Godin of 2008 have to say about today’s technological era? Cite textual evidence. Do you believe Tribes is overly optimistic about the Internet’s developments? Why or why not?

How has a carpe diem attitude affected tribes in American society? What are the benefits and drawbacks of this proactive ethos? Choose three tribes (they can be tech start-ups, cultural movements, or advocacy groups) and describe how they succeeded or failed in “seizing the day.”

Choose five predictions Godin makes in Tribes and scrutinize their relevance today. (For example, do individuals still hold leverage over companies?)

Pick four heretics from Tribes and compare their decisions as leaders. Cite textual evidence, but use outside sources if necessary. Now pick one you believe most embodies Godin’s definition of heretic and explain your choice.

Humanism champions progress, autonomy, and cooperation. Tribes asserts all of these are necessary for a successful leader and tribe. Take the antithetical position—why might these three attributes hurt a group? Provide concrete examples.

Tribes celebrates people’s increased ability to connect globally and define themselves by interest rather than location. How does this strengthen society and how does it hurt it?

Citing evidence, address why the factory model, as described by Godin, once worked but became obsolete. Can you identify a new mode of business that parallels the factory? A new mode of “sheepwalking”?