Clique signal

"Belief-tribe signalling' (or just tribal signalling) is the practice of proclaiming one's fixed beliefs to others.

Rationalists will often mistake such signalling as an attempt at rational debate, but it is not. Rational debate carries with it the assumption that both parties are engaged in a mutual search for truth, and (therefore) that if sufficient evidence is presented against any participant's position, they will modify their beliefs to accommodate this new information.

The actual purposes of tribal signalling are:

1. to be seen defending the beliefs of the tribe – to enhance one's reputation within the tribe
2. in the hope of spreading the tribe's beliefs, thus increasing the tribe's power
3. to give the signaller an increased sense of confidence that the beliefs are true (this appears to work because of a flaw in human psychology)