I have a Taiwanese flatmate here in Dublin who works for Google's US headquarters. Apart from being the greatest flatmate ever, she is a great discussion-mate. She studied psychology at Stanford with a certain emphasis on its social side so we often dive into social psychology discussions, my favorite. We both were raised with a mixture of Eastern and Western influences so can see how they interact and contradict with human nature. There are two things I want to share that strike me most about this:
1. Western individualism was a minority until a few ages ago. Despite its contagious and respressive nature, it is still a minority when all the world population is considered.
2. This individualism is contagious not because it's a better alternative to collectivism, but because it's inclusive nature takes well advantage of the outsiders of collectivism. It is certainly no secret that "groups" define an enemy to define themselves better. Simply read The Lord of the Flies or watch LOST if you disagree :) So people who stand out in collectivist cultures are either declared to be the ruling authority or outcasted simply depending on the current circumstances. These outstanding outcasts are warmly welcomed by individualism which then is nurtured by the new arrivals. The better defined collectivist group inevitably dissolves in time by internal conflicts, the speed of this dissolving depending on the ego-homogeneity within the group. The ruling authority is dismissed most violently. Simply watch King Lear or read any history book if you disagree. Thus nurtured individualists take the upper hand and invade the world whether individualism suits them well or not.
