The Dark Side of Human Connection

By Michael Burns

The Dark Side of Human Connection: How Belonging, Groupthink, and Identity Can Undermine Us
We're wired to belong. It's a survival instinct - an emotional anchor, a source of meaning and safety. But what happens when our need to connect is exploited? When loyalty overrides truth, identity replaces inquiry, and the fear of exclusion silences the voice within?
The Dark Side of Human Connection explores how our most cherished human impulse - the desire to belong - can be hijacked by modern technology, ideology, and tribal dynamics to produce dangerous outcomes: conformity, groupthink, moral panic, and societal fragmentation.
Drawing on insights from psychology, sociology, neuroscience, history, and digital culture, this timely and thought-provoking book examines: The evolutionary roots of our need for social affiliation.How algorithms and social platforms amplify tribal thinking and suppress dissent.The rise of ideological purity, cancel culture, and identity-based polarization.Historical case studies where group belonging led to collective harm - from Salem to Rwanda.Strategies for cultivating independent thought and building healthier communities.This is not a call to abandon connection - but a challenge to rethink how we do it. With clarity and courage, The Dark Side of Human Connection maps the path from blind belonging to thoughtful solidarity, helping us reclaim our relationships, our reason, and our shared humanity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FK4X2WYL
• ISBN13: 9798294399139
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 94 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"