Individualism, Trust in Others, Fosters More Rapid Innovation

Individualistic countries tend to be richer. But as hofstata the elder once put it, the order of logic not that individualism comes first. It is that the wealth comes first and the individualism follows. To explain the massive economic growth that we have seen in the last 200 years, you need to explain the continuous and accelerating rate of innovation for a long time. And what a number of studies in economics, as well as work in my lab has shown is that openness to other people, an inclination towards individualism, a desire to stand out, fosters more rapid innovation.