One of the fundamental needs and desires is to belong. It’s how most of us start life, by being born into a family. Having caregivers is essential for the baby. It’s a small group and the first we belong to. While the caregivers will be regularly present, for the baby they also disappear regularly. He will do everything he can to feel safe and have the security that they come back. That is, that belonging can continue.

As we engage in groups, the sense of belonging continues to be present. It’s matched by the fear to be rejected.

Members of the group observe one another and monitor how belonging works. It’s observing what the others do and how doing it helps to confirm their membership. These members help to make sure that the group doesn’t change. They contribute to establishing a culture and being able to live according to the values of the group.

Some members will also observe the events in the environment to discover threats the group may experience. These people will invite change. They either will propose to adopt new ideas or they will suggest fighting against ideas they perceive as a threat.

This naturally builds tension in a group. Some members want this, while others want that. They need to find ways to align with one another and reestablish a common way of doing things.

The group is split between those who want to adopt change to secure the group and its ability to exist and those who want to avoid change to allow its culture to survive.