I think what you see is a culture wherein conforming to the majority idea is valued (a lot) higher than the individual's ability for self-expression. This does

I think what you see is a culture wherein conforming to the majority idea is valued (a lot) higher than the individual's ability for self-expression. This does not mean people don't think differently, the Swedish are notoriously individualistic, but it does mean that your voice isn't heard as often, and when it is, it doesn't really seem like it's your voice, but rather it was agreed upon to be the way forward. The hyper-individualism, I think, is just the flip side of hyper-authoritarianism. Swedish people are almost happy to pay taxes, Swedish people are some of the most active voters in the OECD (82% turnout last election, let's hope tomorrow's election is no worse!), and Swedish road safety policy is now a Swedish export. It is indeed a very unusual combination, but I think it's what happens when you mix prosperity, democracy, and secularism for a long time. I hope that the recent waves of misinformation and polarizing media won't ruin it. But it isn't looking good.