The world would be a much better place if we invested ourselves a little more in playoff hockey, and a little less in partisan politics. 

The comparison between political partisanship and organized sports is obviously nothing new. News coverage over political battles is routinely, and deliberatively, couched in terms just as easily found on the sports page. Moreover, the tribal instincts driving fanaticism are largely the same in both instances. 

As Jonathan Haidt brilliantly articulated in his book The Righteous Mind, much of our behavior is derived not from conscious decision-making, but from primitive biological impulses. And one of the strongest of those impulses is the social drive we, as individuals, have to belong to a group. 

Our tribal tendencies shape much of our lives and personalities without us even realizing it—including the way we dress, what brands we purchase, how we select partners and even the way we signal our interests to the people around us. 

Both politics and sports feed off this fundamental biological human trait—however, the impact such tribalism has on our ability to act collectively couldn’t be more different in each circumstance. 

The biases, cognitive dissonance and blind allegiance generated by tribalism tends to corrupt the way we interpret the world around us—which might not be a big deal when talking about a go-ahead goal or a two-minute minor, but it has massive implications when dealing with social issues that affect the rights, livelihoods and freedoms of our neighbors. 

Just as political partisans perceive the world around them differently, sports fans are similarly inclined to abandon objectivity. Obviously, the Vegas Golden Knights won their series against Colorado because they’re the best team to ever grace the sport of hockey—but to an Avalanche fan, the series was likely viewed as a procession of unfortunate puck bounces, lucky (or unlucky) plays and questionable officiating. And while you and I know Vegas won because they should have been number one in the league to begin with, Colorado fans undoubtedly feel they’ve been cheated. 

With few exceptions, however, we tend to tolerate such irrational tribal bias in the world of sports. After all, it’s just a game. Relationships rarely fall apart because of divergent allegiances to different teams—and team rivalries add to the sense of community we feel as we scream at the television to cheer on the young athletes wearing our preferred jerseys. 

However uninterested in sports one might be, the sociological power of tribalism has a profound hold on the primitive corners of our brains—which is why during playoff season it seems as if suddenly everyone in town claims to be a fan of Stone, Pacioretty, Fleury et al. 

In this sense, indulgence in nonsensical fanaticism can actually have a positive impact on the world. In fact, given how we are mentally hardwired, it can be quite helpful for building a sense of community. It’s a similar communal phenomenon as small-town churches, Elks lodges and even neighborhood block parties. (Are block parties still a thing?) We like to be a part of a group—even if it’s just a group of people shouting at their television for 60 minutes of skate time. 

The “team spirit” surrounding Nevada’s first professional hockey franchise epitomizes this positive impact of certain tribal tendencies. Much to the surprise of the entire league, Las Vegas is an exceptional hockey town. It’s as if the entire community has linked arms to tell the world that we can do it better than anyone because… that’s Vegas. We do everything better. 

While such tribalism has done wonders for bringing a diverse and otherwise transient city together, the same cannot be said for the political allegiances of our time.  

Political tribalism has increased our most illiberal tendencies, making enemies out of otherwise well-intentioned and intelligent people. And it does so while increasing our willingness to punish those who refuse to join the ranks of our preferred political team. 

Understanding the role tribalism plays in how we interact with the world—and understanding when it is destructive—requires nuance that human beings aren’t especially willing to employ. It requires a recognition of our own cognitive dissonance, confirmation biases and primal impulses. And that’s a pretty big lift when discussing something as contentious as modern political disagreements.  

Unfortunately, an ever-increasing portion of our lives have been consumed by the team sport of partisan politics—breeding ever larger contempt for those who don’t share our philosophies and dividing us along (usually nonsensical) party lines. 

With each passing year, it seems as if the opportunities to escape such relentless partisanship is harder to find. Having just wrapped up a legislative session, the positive energy generated by something as simple as a hockey game offers a welcomed sensation of unity.  

So, while it won’t fix our biggest social or cultural challenges, a little more playoff hockey and a little less politics is something we should all be thankful for in Nevada. 

Michael Schaus began his professional career in the financial sector, where he became deeply interested in economic theory and the concept of free markets. Over a decade ago, that interest led him to a career in policy and public commentary—working as a columnist, a political humorist and a radio talk show host. Today, Michael is director of communications for the Nevada Policy Research Institute and lives with his wife and daughter in Las Vegas. Follow him on Twitter at @schausmichael.