Are we so divided by our beliefs, biases, ideologies, and loyalties that we no longer value our diversity or find commonality with our fellow citizens? If so, we are treading on a dangerous path. When diversity is no longer valued, adversity follows. Adversity leads to hatred, hatred leads to conflict, and conflict can lead to the fall of societies. Is our current trajectory leading toward a collapse of our social fabric.
For decades, the “us vs. them” mentality was a survival mechanism; today, it is a weapon. In a world fractured by political, religious, and generational loyalties, we have lost more than just common ground—we have lost a shared reality. In North America and beyond, the influence of social media, the fracturing of media landscapes, and the enduring legacy of racial and economic tension have created a society where what once united us now actively divides us. But the root of our division isn’t just in our headlines; it’s in our DNA.
In this groundbreaking work, behavioral psychologist and group dynamics expert Duane W. Cross pulls back the curtain on the “Information on Everything” era. He argues that our reactions to modern conflict are largely predictable, rooted in genetic predispositions and collective social group consciousness. To bridge the gap between “us” and “them,” we must first understand the biological and psychological architecture that builds the walls in the first place.
This book moves beyond simple observation to provide a diagnostic roadmap for recovery. Cross examines the historical perspective of group identification and its impact on modern interpersonal conflict, offering proven, evidence-based methods to address these challenges at the individual, group, and societal levels.
The author, Duane W. Cross has spent decades as the “architect behind the scenes” for some of the world’s most complex organizations. After a career spent merging, re-organizing and driving massive culture change in the corporate sector, Cross is now applying his expertise to the ultimate reorganization: our greater society.
We are at a crossroad. Our ability to adapt to a complex, diverse reality is no longer just a social goal—it is a requirement for our survival as a human race. We must integrate new belief systems and behaviors before the walls we’ve built become impossible to tear down. Prepared or not, our very existence as a human race, culture, society, and as an individual will depend on our ability to adapt to the realities of the world we live in as a collective body of diverse human beings.
To assist your deep dive into What Unites Us/Divides Us a series of conversational podcasts have been developed along with supportive illustrations to serve either as an introduction or review. Listen to “Overview of Book” podcast above.