Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if the same group thinking that divides us could also help bring us together? In the age of sycophantic AI and social media polarization, one psychologist is showing how shared identity can strengthen trust, cooperation, and connection, online and in the real world.
This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University and award-winning co-author of The Power of Us. Jay studies how group identity shapes our beliefs, behavior, relationships, and performance—and how leaders can use that knowledge to build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and a greater sense of shared purpose. His engaging, research-backed keynotes reveal why “us vs. them” thinking is so powerful, and how we can harness the same psychology that divides us to increase trust, cooperation, and collective success.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why polarization is real—but often feels worse than it actually is
- How a tiny number of hostile accounts can distort your view of the world
- Why unfollowing just 10 or 12 people can reduce partisan animosity
- How shared identity can improve trust, cooperation, and team performance
- Why constructive dissent helps groups make better decisions—even when the dissenter is wrong
- How flattering AI can make us more biased and overconfident
- Why the best chatbots may be willing to disagree with you
In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jay answers these questions and more:
- Why are people becoming less civil?
- Does social media make polarization worse?
- How do groups shape the way we think and behave?
- How can our teams become more innovative?
- Does hybrid work still work today?
- Is AI making us worse at thinking?
Learn more about Jay or book him as a keynote speaker: thelavinagency.com/speakers/jay-van-bavel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jay+van+bavel+lavin+voices
Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency
Credits:
Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney
Host: Charles Yao
Guest: Jay Van Bavel
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0:00 Cold Open
0:58 Intro to Jay Van Bavel
2:40 Is Polarization Worse Than Ever?
3:10 Real vs False Polarization
5:03 Why False Polarization Matters
6:02 Why Bad Is Stronger Than Good
6:47 The Three-to-One Ratio
7:49 Social Media and Polarization
10:46 Unfollowing Toxic Accounts
14:05 How Algorithms Reward Rage Bait
16:21 Why People Stay on Social Media
19:00 Incivility and Group Norms
21:42 How In-Groups Form
25:29 Building Shared Identity
27:04 Remote Work and Lost Connection
29:21 Leadership and the Shared “Us”
31:53 Language, Goals, and Group Incentives
35:29 Rewarding Unsung Heroes
36:26 Signaling What the Team Values
38:28 Valuing Constructive Dissent
40:51 When to Remove Toxic Teammates
43:52 AI, Bias, and Sycophancy
47:51 Chatbots at Work
48:32 Ads, Engagement, and AI
50:09 Three Things Individuals Can Do
52:36 Choosing the Right Shared Activity
53:38 Broken Windows and Social Norms
55:09 Can We Turn Polarization Around?
57:58 Outro
What if the same group thinking that divides us could also help bring us together? In the age of sycophantic AI and social media polarization, one psychologist is showing how shared identity can strengthen trust, cooperation, and connection, online and in the real world.
This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University and award-winning co-author of The Power of Us. Jay studies how group identity shapes our beliefs, behavior, relationships, and performance—and how leaders can use that knowledge to build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and a greater sense of shared purpose. His engaging, research-backed keynotes reveal why “us vs. them” thinking is so powerful, and how we can harness the same psychology that divides us to increase trust, cooperation, and collective success.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why polarization is real—but often feels worse than it actually is
- How a tiny number of hostile accounts can distort your view of the world
- Why unfollowing just 10 or 12 people can reduce partisan animosity
- How shared identity can improve trust, cooperation, and team performance
- Why constructive dissent helps groups make better decisions—even when the dissenter is wrong
- How flattering AI can make us more biased and overconfident
- Why the best chatbots may be willing to disagree with you
In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jay answers these questions and more:
- Why are people becoming less civil?
- Does social media make polarization worse?
- How do groups shape the way we think and behave?
- How can our teams become more innovative?
- Does hybrid work still work today?
- Is AI making us worse at thinking?
Learn more about Jay or book him as a keynote speaker: thelavinagency.com/speakers/jay-van-bavel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jay+van+bavel+lavin+voices
Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency
Credits:
Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney
Host: Charles Yao
Guest: Jay Van Bavel
--------
0:00 Cold Open
0:58 Intro to Jay Van Bavel
2:40 Is Polarization Worse Than Ever?
3:10 Real vs False Polarization
5:03 Why False Polarization Matters
6:02 Why Bad Is Stronger Than Good
6:47 The Three-to-One Ratio
7:49 Social Media and Polarization
10:46 Unfollowing Toxic Accounts
14:05 How Algorithms Reward Rage Bait
16:21 Why People Stay on Social Media
19:00 Incivility and Group Norms
21:42 How In-Groups Form
25:29 Building Shared Identity
27:04 Remote Work and Lost Connection
29:21 Leadership and the Shared “Us”
31:53 Language, Goals, and Group Incentives
35:29 Rewarding Unsung Heroes
36:26 Signaling What the Team Values
38:28 Valuing Constructive Dissent
40:51 When to Remove Toxic Teammates
43:52 AI, Bias, and Sycophancy
47:51 Chatbots at Work
48:32 Ads, Engagement, and AI
50:09 Three Things Individuals Can Do
52:36 Choosing the Right Shared Activity
53:38 Broken Windows and Social Norms
55:09 Can We Turn Polarization Around?
57:58 Outro
