Individualism typical of Western societies means being more generous to strangers rather than family. Individualists are also less prone to ethnocentrism. This is likely a major reason why so many Westerners welcomes refugees, migration of poor people, etc. Maladaptive long term.
Here's a tweet from a White woman who typifies this openness to strangers, even at high cost. Rather than see deaths from illegal immigrants as a preventable evil, she says some citizens, who can't be deported, drive drunk too.
Western individualism has been highly adaptive and led to high-trust societies that have been incredibly creative and economically productive. But there is good reason to suppose that making people from collectivist societies a majority will end all that.
Individualism-collectivism like pretty much all psychological traits has genetic basis.
Western cultures (Greeks and Romans) dominated Middle East for centuries but never changed ME collectivism. Maccabean revolt against Greek culture paradigmatic.
Western cultures (Greeks and Romans) dominated Middle East for centuries but never changed ME collectivism. Maccabean revolt against Greek culture paradigmatic.
