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It’s pretty much collectivism vs individualism. The West has mostly leaned towards individualism (aka “it's a free country”) while the East Asia under the infl
by TerrifiedMouse 3y ago
It’s pretty much collectivism vs individualism.
The West has mostly leaned towards individualism (aka “it's a free country”) while the East Asia under the influence of Confucianism is most collective.
Collectivism has its downsides. It can be suffocating. Society also doesn’t always take into consideration an individual’s limitations when it comes to meeting societal obligations - a moot point in more individualistic societies.
- rayiner 3y ago> Collectivism has its downsides. Collectivism also has upsides. I’m fascinated by Mormons because they seem to me to be the most Asian white people. Mormon men have a life expectancy almost 10 years longer than other white men. They have among the highest social mobility in the country. They, along with Jews, top the charts in measures of mental well being. And this is all happening within the context of America. They deal with the same Obamacare, seem to have basically the same school systems, etc.
- MandieD 3y agoStrong, socially-enforced taboos against alcohol and tobacco consumption are probably a major driver of the longevity difference.
- ekanes 3y agoAnd a small community of actual friends. Friendship matters re longevity. It's worth working towards.
- 16mb 3y agoI assume it’s a bit more likely to do with the lack of junk foods and increased physical activity.
- rayiner 3y agoYeah but everyone knows you shouldn’t eat junk food and should exercise more. And last I checked Utah is subject to the same consumer advertising, fast food chains, and processed food brands as everywhere else.
- kelseyfrog 3y agoI assume that the benefactors of a patriarchy do rather well. It naturally confers many advantages that translate into longer lifespan.
- rayiner 3y agoMormon women also live much longer than other white American women. Mormon women live longer than Swedish women.
- coryfklein 3y agoHaving been raised Mormon and participating in the church and culture until my mid-20's, there are sooo many aspects of the religion that affect life across so many dimensions. I'm sure abstinence from drugs is benificial, but probably only account for a fraction of the effect. Other things I'd consider: * Longevity is associated with community, something the church is very good at * Even elderly individuals are required to perform "a calling", giving them meaning and purpose later in life * Mormons have a lot of children, and so when you're older you usually have a very strong social safety net * Mormons have lower divorce rates, and divorce is correlated with greater mortality As an agnostic and raising kids, I spend a lot of time now pondering how – if at all – to pass on as many of these benefits of Mormonism to my kids without mandating the magical beliefs, and I have to say it's difficult. But I think you do have to have some healthy middle-ground mix of conservatism and collectivisms just to strike a healthy balance with modern individualism and liberalism.
- lazide 3y agoThe magical beliefs are in many ways the cement.
- throwaway2037 3y agoThe West has mostly leaned towards individualism (aka “it's a free country”) while the East Asia under the influence of Confucianism is most collective. This is ridiculous. Look at the divorce rates here: https://wisevoter.com/country-rankings/divorce-rate-by-country/ https://wisevoter.com/country-rankings/divorce-rate-by-count... Mainland China has a surprisingly high divorce rate. How do you explain why Canada has a divorce rate less than one half of the United States? Japan and the Netherlands have roughly the same divorce rates, and wildly different cultures.
- TerrifiedMouse 3y agoThings have changed over the decades. Those countries have become more individualistic and divorce is less taboo among the current generation than the Boomers.