David Brooks in the NY Time Op-Ed section on Tuesday August 12th comments from China that:
“The world can be divided in many ways – rich and poor. democratic and authoritarian – but one of the most striking is the divide between the societies with an individualistic mentality and the ones with a collectivist mentality”
Commenting on the opening ceremonies in Beijing, he says “if Asia’s success reopens the debate between individualism and collectivism …, then it’s unlikely that the forces of individualism will sweep the field or even gain an edge.”
“The rise of China isn’t only an economic event. It’s a cultural one. The ideal of a harmonious collective may turn out to be as attractive as the ideal of the American Dream.”
Read more to gain a better understanding of what this might mean to us in the future.