In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen Johan Norberg: Analyzing Golden Ages, Embracing Openness and Spotting Warning Signs
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Oct 1, 2025 
In this enlightening discussion, Johan Norberg, an acclaimed author and historian, delves into the rise and fall of civilizations. He examines the key role of openness in innovation and the immigration phenomenon that fuels creativity. Norberg warns about the dangers of protectionism, sharing historical lessons from golden ages that decline when societies turn inward. He advocates for 'strategic tolerance' and emphasizes how modern issues might signal a waning golden age. Changing one's mind is seen as a strength, vital for personal and societal growth.
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What Defines A Golden Age
- A golden age is seen in retrospect as simultaneous bursts of culture, science, technology and economic growth.
- It requires multiple innovations across many fields, not just one shining achievement.
Why The Anglosphere Was Global
- The Anglosphere combined industrial capitalism with liberal democracy and a rules-based global order after WWII.
- That openness spread ideas, trade and security more broadly than earlier regional golden ages.
The Spartan Shift That Ends Golden Ages
- Golden ages often end when societies shift from exploring outward to protecting what they already have.
- That inward, defensive 'Spartan' mentality kills the regenerative innovation needed to sustain growth.
