EPISODE 115: Us vs. Them

EPISODE 115: Us vs. Them

From History on Fire by Daniele Bolelli

November 17, 2025 · 1h 24m · Season 1 · Episode 115

About this episode

This episode explores the dark side of human nature and the reasons behind collective violence and atrocities throughout history.

“I love people as I meet them one by one. People are just wonderful as individuals. You see the whole universe in their eyes if you look carefully. But as soon as they begin to group, as soon as they begin to clot, when there are five of them or ten or even groups of smallest two, they begin to change, they sacrifice the beauty of the individual for the sake of the group… Cause pretty soon they have little hats, ya know? And armbands. And fight songs. And a list of people they’re going to visit at 3 am.” George Carlin “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster." Friedrich Nietzsche Why so much of history reads like an account of human beings doing horrible things to other human beings? How can some individuals who seem loving and perfectly decent in one context turn into monsters in a different context? How can a sense of identity be weaponized to justify the most atrocious actions one can imagine? How can ideologies turn into tools for scapegoating? This episode will try to answer these questions, and go to the roots of the reasons behind all the horrific things that human beings have done and continue to do to one another. If you feel generous…

Topics covered

  • identity
  • group dynamics
  • atrocities
  • human behavior
  • ideology

Keywords

  • George Carlin
  • Friedrich Nietzsche
  • scapegoating
  • monsters
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Reishi, Chaga

Books & works: History on Fire

Places: Japan

More episodes of History on Fire

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the History on Fire podcast page.