I don’t remember which podcast I was listening to the other day where one of the hosts mentioned something about Stockholm Syndrome (SS, from now on) and it hit me why SS happens.

It’s a manifestation of the tribal survival instinct.

In the hunter-gatherer days, integrating into the tribe was necessary for survival. Those who integrated best survived, those integrated worst died. Those who survived passed on their genes, including the ones that helped them to integrate and those who died didn’t pass on their genes. Because of that, we have a subconscious, genetic impulse to integrate into whatever we see as “our tribe” to ensure our survival.

When people are put into a situation where they are under the control of others many people will tend to form bonds with their captors. I’ve experienced this in army boot camp with, you might say, unfriendly drill instructors. Because they have set themselves up as the elite of a new tribe, it’s instinctive to attempt to gain their favor. Gaining the favor of the tribal elite by adopting their ideas and beliefs is one of the most effective ways to integrate into a tribe.

Many people will exhibit this behavior without even being aware of it. There’s not much more to say about it except that it’s a natural response to being in a hierarchical social environment, voluntarily or not. You see it in hostage situations, as well as more voluntary settings like the aforementioned boot camp, or even in the workplace (ass-kissing is instinctive!).