We classify countries along a rough continuuum from 'freedom-loving democracies' through to 'authoritarian…

We classify countries along a rough continuuum from 'freedom-loving democracies' through to 'authoritarian dictatorships'. And we assume these are either choices countries make, or have imposed upon them. Michele Gelfand has news for us. 1/5 https://t.co/S9UPKAwXMa

Gelfand does something that is similar to my passion for 'reality politics'. She finds a much more realistic, material explanation for these differences. And what she found has dramatic implications for things like pandemics and 'politics'. 2/5

Gelfand says the degree of control a society exhibits is a manifestation of the magnitude of the challenges it has faced, historically. That fighting these challenges can semi-permanently change the culture, the social behaviour. 3/5

So for example countries we see as authoritarian today often had catastrophic challenges to overcome in history, such as plagues and natural disasters and wars, which required intense social cohesion to defeat. That intense cohesion can survive for centuries. 4/5

The implications of this research are huge. More to come! /end