How Society Evolves - Introducing The World Values Survey

Introduction to the World Values Survey: The World Values Survey (WVS) is a global research project initiated in 1981, focusing on the values and beliefs of individuals worldwide. The survey is conducted every four years and involves participants from over 100 countries, accounting for 90% of the global population. It aims to monitor how these values and beliefs evolve over time and their social and political impact.
Methodology of the World Values Survey: The WVS is collected via questionnaires administered by volunteer social and political scientists across various regions globally. Upon collection, this data is compiled into a comprehensive database and released for analysis. Key aspects explored in the WVS include support for democracy, tolerance of diversity, gender equality, attitudes towards religion, the environment, work, family, politics, national identity, culture, diversity, insecurity, and subjective well-being.
Significance of the World Values Survey: The data derived from the WVS has helped to understand the motivations behind significant historical events. It has illustrated how individuals' beliefs significantly impact economic development, the establishment and success of democratic institutions, gender equality progression, and the effectiveness of governments.
Format of the World Values Survey: The WVS maps nations onto two primary axes: horizontal (x-axis) representing 'Survival vs. Self-Expression' values, and vertical (y-axis) representing 'Traditional vs. Secular-rational' values. This mapping enables the differentiation between countries and their dominant values.
Relation to other theoretical models: The WVS complements other sociological models like Spiral Dynamics, which outlines the evolution of human values, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which details the priority of human needs for survival and actualization, from basic physiological needs such as food and water to more complex needs like self-esteem and self-actualisation.
Traditional Values vs Secular-Rational Values: Countries that emphasize traditional values stress the importance of religion, parent-child bonds, authority deference, and conventional family values. People accepting these values also reject divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide with a nationalistic outlook and high national pride. This contrasts with secular-rational values where less importance is placed on religion, traditional family values, and authority. In these societies, divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide are seen relatively acceptable.
Survival Values vs Self-Expression Values: Countries favoring survival values emphasize economic and physical security, have a comparatively ethnocentric outlook, low levels of trust and tolerance, high corruption, and authoritarian governance. On the other hand, self-expression value countries prioritize environmental protection, increased tolerance for foreigners, gays, and lesbians, gender equality, and growing demands for participation in political and economic decision-making.
Economic Differences between Countries: Countries can be classified into low-income, mid-tier, and high-income tiers based on GDP and per capita income. Less affluent countries tend to be traditional and survival-oriented, following the lower levels of Spiral Dynamics (stages purple, red, and blue). In contrast, more thriving countries lean toward secular-rational and self-expressive values, corresponding to the higher levels of Spiral Dynamics (orange, green, yellow, and above).
Survival as a Value Driver: It's highlighted that meeting basic survival needs is a prerequisite for people to even care about self-expression needs. Without satisfying these basic needs, it's challenging to advance and care about aspects like creativity, consciousness, and truth.
Geographical Differences in Survival Challenges: Different geographical regions face distinct survival challenges, which shape the beliefs, values, and worldviews of people living there. Rather than absolute truths dictating beliefs, it's highlighted that these are more likely to be responses to survival needs - dictated by the specific context in which people grow up.
Influence of Upbringing on Worldview: If one grows up in a Christian environment, they likely adopt Christianity; if they grow up in a Muslim environment, they're likely to become a Muslim. Similarly, atheistic, rationalist, or scientific worldviews are also products of the culture in someone's upbringing.
Role of Ego in Choice of Beliefs: People often rationalize their choice of beliefs as independent and self-made. However, it's tough for individuals to acknowledge that their beliefs and values stem more from their upbringing and societal norms, not a pursuit of objective truth.
Understanding cultural evolution: According to Ronald Inglehart's book "Cultural Evolution", culture is a set of learned behaviors that constitutes a society's survival strategy. These cultural norms often persist for centuries but can change rapidly under certain conditions. While fashions change quickly, basic values change more slowly, predominantly through intergenerational population replacement with multi-decade time lags.
Role of location in shaping a culture: Geographical and historical factors significantly shape a culture. For instance, different climates, weather patterns, and biodiversity in various locations have a significant influence on the customs, rituals, and cuisines of different cultures.
Adaptive aspect of culture: Culture changes more rapidly than the physical environment. It must adapt to survive in the changing landscapes produced by human activities.
Role of technology in cultural change: Technological advancements play a major role in cultural evolution, by adding new dimensions of survival, such as online businesses.
Transmission of Values: Each new generation gets programmed with the values and perspectives of the surrounding culture, making it difficult to change these foundational values later in life.
Slow progression of society: Society evolves as an 'inchworm' with each new generation leapfrogging the previous one. This gradual change happens as old generations with their set of values die off, and the new generations with their fresh perspectives start shaping the culture.
Historically appropriate value systems: Historian Ian Morris argues that societies develop appropriate value systems depending on their stage in societal development - foraging, farming, or industrial - through an evolutionary process.
Understanding personality structure and cultural reinforcement: Our personality structure and basic values largely set into place by the time we reach adulthood and change little afterwards. Societal norms and cultural environment are predominantly enforced by older generations, with change often only coming about as newer generations take their place. Older generations can be stubborn, dogmatic, and resistant to change, maintaining their already established outlooks, beliefs, and attitudes.
Impact of early-life survival and security on worldviews: People's views on the world are highly influenced by their sense of survival security during childhood. Growing up in a secure environment leads to a positive, trusting worldview without constant paranoia. Conversely, growing up in an insecure environment, such as a war zone, can lead to lifelong paranoia and a warped worldview. People's political inclinations, cultural adherence, attitudes towards democracy, and views on social issues like gay rights and religion can be deeply affected by their early-life survival security.
The relationship between survival, societal progression, and cultural evolution: As societies evolve from being insecure to secure, they gradually exhibit newer ways of life and cultural progress. This includes evolving notions of compassion, empathy, social justice, democracy, and civil rights. These values and privileges that take root in a secure society had to be hard-fought over centuries and were not naturally inherent in human societies. Early humans also had a mixed set of cultural norms, but they evolved over time as societies became more secure and prosperous.
Societal impacts of early life survival and materialistic goals: In insecure societies, people are more likely to place higher importance on materialistic goals, with survival taking precedence over other goals. This struggle for survival and material acquisition is often reflected in their political inclinations and views towards authoritarianism and democracy. It is crucial to understand that democracy and other liberal values often emerge as luxuries that can only be developed after basic survival needs are met.
Interactions between rigid rules and survival uncertainty: People under survival stress prefer rigid, predictable rules to survive and avoid unpredictability. However, those with relatively secure living conditions can tolerate ambiguity and deviations from absolute rules better. This is often visible in the preference for authoritarian figures and strict laws in insecure societies. Some Western societies may criticize these autocracies, but it's important to understand that these conditions might arise out of survival necessities and not personal wickedness.
Preconditions for democracy and societal progress: Democracy is not a natural or universal ideal but is developed slowly as societies stabilize and progress. For democracy to work effectively, there needs to be a rule of law, literacy, and a non-corrupt system in place. It cannot function efficiently if there is a prevalent culture of crime, corruption or illiteracy. Therefore, societal progress and the evolution towards a democratic system are directly linked to the security and stability of a society.
The Influence of Security Levels on Society and Culture: Societies closer to physical danger or insecurity tend to be more conformist with less room for individual expression. Authority is valued and relied upon for survival, whether it be religious, governmental, or local. Submission to authority comes at the cost of personal goals but under conditions of insecurity, people are more willing to do so. This explains societies that have low tolerance for variations from the norm (like homosexuality or feminism), are highly religious, and tend to be less democratic.
Economic Development and Changing Societal Values: Economic progression empirically leads to systematic shifts in a society's beliefs and values. With increasing economic security, societies evolve from emphasizing traditional/survival values to valuing self-expression and democracy. The roles of genders become less defined, families become smaller, and tolerance for differences increases. This is due to reduced survival pressures and changing societal standards, such as societal structures providing insurance for old age, relieving the necessity of having many children.
The Role and Perception of Religion: Religion serves as a unifying force in societies, providing a common set of values and moral compass. The degree of religiosity in individuals tends to be inversely related to their sense of security and predictability during their formative years. As society evolves, the role and perception of religion also change. For example, religion has often served as a survival mechanism in historical contexts.
Impact of Survival Challenges on Society's Structure and Belief System: In societies facing severe ecological or historical threats, individuals are more likely to submit to authoritarian rule, align with strong norms, and punish deviant behavior. This underscores the impact of survival challenges in shaping a society's structure and belief system.
Correlation between Corruption Levels and Democracy: A distinct correlation can be observed between a nation's corruption levels and its democracy efficacy. Well-functioning democracies characterized by low corruption levels usually value self-expression and individual rights. On the contrary, countries with high corruption levels, often experiencing survival pressures, display ineffective democratic systems and emphasize survival values.
Interactions between Different Values within a Society: Managing a group of people with differing values and beliefs is challenging but necessary for collective survival. A common set of agreed-upon values helps act as a unifying factor to fend off external threats.
Understanding of Survival and Religion's Role: Noting that religious beliefs and moral codes stem from survival needs, Gura uses the historical context of Islam as an example. Islam emerged around 400 AD in the Middle East amidst tribal warfare, acting as a unifying force that enabled different tribes to coalesce, thus advancing peace and prosperity. Although, by current standards, the Middle East is considered undeveloped, Gura reminds us that societal conditions must be evaluated based on their historical context. It's also critical to understand that the removal of certain societal elements, which may currently seem unnecessary or hindering, might instead lead to even more drastic consequences.
Tolerance in Various Societies: Gura explains how societal attitudes towards issues like homosexuality vary drastically depending on the level of development and survival needs of a society. In survival-oriented societies, homosexuality is seen as completely unjustifiable by up to 96% of the public. However, in self-expression-oriented societies, as few as 6% consider it unjustifiable.
Parenting Values and Societal Progress: Parenting and child-rearing values shift with societal progression. Parents in traditional societies emphasize hard work, while those in self-expression societies prioritize teaching imagination and tolerance. Another notable point is that parents from poverty-stricken regions tend to push their children towards financially stable occupations, prioritizing survival needs.
Satisfaction and Self-expression Values: People focusing on survival values are generally less satisfied and happy compared to those embracing self-expression values. Higher levels of satisfaction and happiness are more effectively pursued once basic survival needs are met. After satisfying survival needs, individuals can then focus on being artistic, creative, pursuing life purpose, spirituality, and self-actualization.
Economic prosperity and life satisfaction: Leo Gura references a chart which shows a correlation between a country's GDP per capita and the life satisfaction of its citizens. Higher happiness levels tend to be in wealthier countries, while the poorest countries have lower life satisfaction scores. However, the chart also indicates that there are diminishing returns for life satisfaction in relation to GDP in economically developed countries.
Money and fulfillment: Leo notes that countries with well-developed economies can further improve, but with diminishing returns in terms of satisfaction and happiness. Once basic needs are met, 'chasing more money' and luxury doesn't lead to fulfillment. Fulfillment comes from self-actuality, contributing to society, and personal and spiritual growth.
Role of economic development in happiness: In underdeveloped countries, the fastest way to increase the happiness of the population is through the development of a stronger and more equal economy. However, focusing too much on economic growth becomes counterproductive after a certain point, as many people need personal development work beyond material success.
Impact of living conditions on self-actualisation: Leo acknowledges the difficulty in trying to pursue self-actualisation in countries with poor socioeconomic conditions due to less resources and economic power. However, he notes, individuals can still vigorously pursue personal growth, albeit with greater difficulty.
Analysis of cultural evolution across countries: Leo reviews a chart showing how countries' values have shifted over the last few decades. For example, Japan has moved significantly towards self-expression, whilst Russia has regressed towards traditional values.
Correlation between survival threat and nationalism: Leo points out the tendency for a rise in nationalism when people feel that their survival is threatened, such as during an economic decline. This often leads to the emergence of authoritarian leaders.
Global improvements in life quality: Despite temporary setbacks, Leo argues that the world is constnatly progrresing towards higher consciousness, complexity and love. Examples of such improvements include the rise in life expectancy, incomes, school attendance, and declines in poverty, illiteracy, mortality, war crime rates and violence from 1970 to 2010 globally.
Rate of cultural change: Leo notes that societal and cultural changes can occur relatively quickly within the span of a few decades. He cites the increasing acceptance of marijuana legalization and gay rights in the United States as an example.
Importance of perspective in viewing societal progression: Finally, Leo stresses the importance of taking a high-level perspective when evaluating societal changes. This perspective allows for a more appreciative view of humanity's progress, despite temporary setbacks and speed of change.
Cultural adaptation to changing societal norms: Rapid societal changes, such as advancing technology, can leave some people feeling left behind and fearful. While progress may seem slow, it is relatively fast when considering the entirety of human history, shifting society from being predominantly survival-driven to becoming more secular and rational value oriented. Notable examples in the video transcript include the legalization of same-sex marriage and the increasing acceptance of gender equality.
Shared experiences based on nationality: Within any given country, the shared experiences and values among its citizens are significantly stronger than similarities found among gender, income, education, or other demographic categories. National education systems are responsible for this, indoctrinating children with an aligned set of values and languages, which create distinct national identities.
Shift towards individualism: As societies modernize, there's a perceptible shift from collectivism to individualism, bringing an increasing emphasis on personal freedom while weakening traditional hierarchical norms. However, this shift is facilitated by a strong societal and government foundation; without it, societies might fall back to a more collectivist structure. Individualism is not universal and is shaped by the level of a society's development.
Consequence of economic collapse: Economic failure can result in society's cultural changes reversing. Progress is dependent on a functioning economy, and without it, society might revert to previous stages of societal or cultural development.
Importance of values in social stratification: Instead of dividing people by demographics such as gender or income, it is more accurate to separate them based upon what they valuewhether they're survival value-oriented or self-expression value-oriented. These values are a far better determiner of societal divisions.
Regressive trends as launching points for progressive ones: The video transcript notes that while regressive trends might seem like setbacks, with a long-term perspective, these serve as launching points for more progressive trends in the future. By observing and examining data and human history, it's clear society evolves towards democracy and liberalism.
Collective lessons shaping individual survival: Society acts as a memory bank, passing down lessons from generation to generation. Children are programmed with society's understanding of survival until they can generate new paradigms and ideas. However, older generations clinging to power and resisting change can impede progress.
Triumph of collective identity over individual identity: The rise of individualism is facilitated by societal factorslike technology, governmental structure, and lawsthat have evolved from communal living. This goes against the libertarian philosophy of individuals living without government. Even if government structures were removed, societies would revert to a more collectivist form rather than promoting individual autonomy; this is because primitive societiesand the roots of human civilizationexhibit strong collectivist behavior.
Impossibility of instantly establishing democracy: Holding elections alone will not establish an effective democracy in societies that have not reached the necessary level of development. This is clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's removal in Iraq. The problem isn't changing the government, but the level of societal developmentthe value systems of a population cannot be altered by force but require time and growth.
Cultural regression due to existing socioeconomic structures: Existing socioeconomic structures greatly influence cultural values and societal trends. When economic collapse occurs, cultural progression can reverse. This is because socioeconomic structures strongly inform cultural norms, beliefs, and the collective response to social evolution.
Understanding Political Development and Fundamentalism: When societies shift from survival values to self-expressive values, dictators, even brutal ones, may naturally be toppled over time. Addressing Islamic fundamentalism, it's underlined how it's a reaction against Western secularization which is seen as a threat. It's essential to help fundamentalists see that there's a next level and they don't need to fear losing their fundamentalism.
Societal Change Driven by Younger Generations: Society's major cultural changes are driven by the younger generations who tend to empathize more with new cultural norms. Older people and those from rural areas are often less supportive of these norms. As older generations die out and younger generations replace them, values continuously evolve.
Predictable Evolution of Human Values: The evolution of human values progresses in predictable ways. As societies transition from an agrarian to an industrial phase, the greatest increase in basic survival takes place. Moreover, as this transition progresses, societies typically become more secular and rational.
Emergence of Individual Agency and Democracy: The greatest increase in individual agency happens as societies advance from an industrial stage to a knowledge-based stage, resulting in an emphasis on self-expression values. Notably, the demand for democracy emerges when societies have achieved a certain level of industrialization.
Importance of Education in Value Evolution: For societies to evolve from survival to self-expression values, education is crucial. As education levels rise, societies typically become more secular and rational. However, failures in this evolution can lead to fundamentalist movements.
Role of Fear and Insecurity in Fundamentalism: Fundamentalist movements often arise from a fear of societal collapse. Those who grew up in survival situations where religion was a dominant force may perceive secularism as a threat. The fear and insecurity of losing religious and traditional foundations can lead to resistance and backlash against societal evolution.
Changing Societies over Time: Based on the World Value Survey data, societies are evolving in predictable ways with clear trends. Industrialization inspires a shift from survival to self-expression values, marking a country's maturation towards democracy. Even though societal changes can be halted by events such as wars, the overall progression is consistent and predictable.
Interconnectedness between Values and Prosperity: Societies that experience higher levels of education and greater wealth tend to shift towards self-expression values. Therefore, individualism becomes more pervasive in modern societies, illustrating that societal development shapes individualism. The adherence to traditional or self-expressive values largely depends on how secure the society is, both economically and socially.
Persistence of Religion even in Secular Societies: Societal secularization doesn't result in the demise of spiritual or religious beliefs. As societies evolve, religion or spiritual practices evolve too. There's a movement towards a more inclusive spirituality incorporating practices like meditation and yoga, indicating that spiritual evolution doesn't necessarily mean the abandonment of all religious elements.
World Value Survey's Insight into Social Evolution: The World Value Survey provided profound insights into social evolution, underlining that human values evolve in predictable ways, with smaller increments in basic survival happening when societies transition from agrarian to industrial. Societies that have not yet industrialized are most likely still entrenched in survival values, meaning industrialization is crucial for societal growth.
Increasing Happiness and Rising Education Level: Among the countries surveyed between 1981 and 2007, happiness increased in 45 out of 52 countries. Higher education levels, reducing survival threats, and younger generations tend to be associated with more liberal values and increased happiness. For low-income societies, economic development can significantly increase happiness. However, for high-income societies, the emphasis is more on democracy and self-expression for happiness.
Religion's Role in Social Evolution: As societies evolve, religion evolves along with them, often acting as a unifying force in times of societal transformation. Fundamentalists' fear of societal collapse is rooted in their perception that religion is the stabilizing force in their society. Negative reactions to secularism often come from a place of fear and insecurity due to the perception of losing religious and traditional foundations.
Cultural Evolution and the Balance of Values: Societal evolution involves a gradual shift in cultural values, often driven by the younger generations. As older generations die out and younger people rise to positions of influence, values progressively evolve. It's emphasized that such evolution doesn't always result in a wipe-out of traditional values but a balance and integration of both traditional and new values.
Progress in Societies and Role of Survival Threats: Societal progress often results in shifts in values and norms, with noticeable transitions from survival to self-expression values. These transformations are influenced by a variety of factors, including education, industrialization, and the presence or absence of survival threats.
Importance of Personal Growth amid Societal Change: Even with societal evolution, individual growth remains crucial. Regardless of societal limitations, personal development is vital, and there's the encouragement to focus on personal growth before attempting transformative changes on others.
Happiness and Societal Development: Happiness has increased over the years, with the rise attributed to the growth in societal development such as education and healthcare. Notably, the rate of happiness increments varies with societal wealth; in low-income societies, a better economy significantly boosts happiness, whereas in high-income societies, democracy and self-expression have a greater impact.
Political Challenges in Ensuring Democratic Transition: Transitioning to a democratic state is not a simple one-size-fits-all solution for all societies. There must be conditions favorable for this shift, such as a move towards self-expression values. If the value systems and development of the population are not addressed, establishing effective democracy could be futile.
Economic Development Leading to Social Evolution: Significant shifts in societies are often driven by economic development. Progress in economy often leads to increased education levels, which in turn results in a rise in self-expression values. However, during this transformation, there can be challenges and even backlash, often driven by fear and insecurity as old norms and ideologies are questioned and threatened.
Cultural Open-mindedness and Development: As societies grow and evolve, it's crucial to maintain open-mindedness towards societal changes and lessons from younger generations. Recognizing that religions and societal norms evolve over time is part of this open-mindedness.
Shifts towards Individual Autonomy as Societies Develop: As societies transition from an industrial stage to a knowledge-based one, there's a marked shift towards individual autonomy and democracy. As individuals become more educated and societies become more interconnected, there's a greater emphasis on democracy and self-expression.
Long-term View of Evolution and Progress: Over time, different societies progress towards higher consciousness, equality, democracy, justice, and love despite occasional regressions. The apparent oscillation between individualism and collectivism in societies is part of this evolution.
Paths of Societal Evolution: According to the World Value Survey, societal evolution progresses from hunting and gathering societies to horticultural, agrarian, industrial, and eventually to knowledge-based economies. Transitioning from one stage to another often requires significant shifts in values and development approaches.
Connection between Education and Societal Evolution: As society continues to evolve and knowledge workers increase, democracy becomes more prevalent and organized religion declines. Higher education often leads to questioning old traditions and ideologies. This evolution, however, is challenged by less educated and economically prosperous groups, leading to fundamentalist movements.
Interference of Fear and Insecurity in Societal Progress: The manifestation of fear and insecurity, especially in older generations, can hinder the progression of societal evolution. Insecurity may cause a struggle in understanding and accepting newer generations due to past experiences and outdated threats. Policymaking, therefore, must address these fears and insecurities for the smooth evolution of society.
Role of Older Generations in Societal Evolution: Society acts as a collective memory bank, transferring lessons from generation to generation. In this context, older generations often resist change. They tend to cling to power and resist new developments that they perceive as threats, such as environmental conservation.
Persistence of Status Quo and Reluctance to Change: Even as society evolves, there's a reluctance from certain factions to accept change, particularly by conservatives. Despite a clear trend of liberalism and democracy throughout history, conservatives often resist changing perspectives and uphold the status quo.
Scope of Changes in Spirituality: As societies evolve, spirituality becomes an increasingly important aspect, but it takes a new form. Practices like meditation, yoga, and the use of psychedelics are expected to become more prevalent, indicating that societal evolution doesn't necessarily equate to losing all forms of spirituality. It points to a shift in the way spirituality is practiced.
Potential Misuse of World Value Survey Data: Concern is expressed about the potential misuse of World Value Survey data to promote nationalistic or racist claims. Emphasis is placed on the need for multiple models to understand reality and to avoid using data to justify personal biases and worldviews.
Boundaries of Survival and Self-Expression Values: Conservative values are more traditional and survival-oriented while liberal values have evolved from traditional to more self-expressive. The need is underscored to have compassion and understanding between liberals and conservatives, acknowledging that survival responses can sometimes lead to moral failing.
Influence of Birth in Time and Place: Individuals born in certain times and places are privileged to label others based on their operandi, such as being racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There's an emphasis on the need for both conservatives and liberals to acknowledge each other's perspectives and contributions to promote societal growth.
Importance of Understanding and Acceptance in Societies: As societies evolve, a level of understanding and acceptance is essential to deal with the challenges of a changing world. Resistance and fears can often hinder progress, and this has to be addressed for smooth transitions. It's emphasized that human societies are continuously evolving, and a return to past states is not the solution.
Value of Personal Growth Amid Societal Limitations: Personal development is essential and can be pursued regardless of societal limitations. Focus should be on personal growth first before trying to transform others. The possibility of individual development becomes a vital element in the evolution of society as a whole.
Significance of Politics in Creating Conducive Environments: Politics play a vital role in creating environments suitable for personal growth and awakening. A conscious approach towards politics is encouraged, and the need for a conscious citizenry for the effective functioning of democracy is emphasized. The movement towards greater consciousness and political consciousness is stressed upon as essential for societal progress.
Reluctance of Conservatives towards Societal Change: Preserving the status quo is often the modus operandi for conservatives who tend to struggle with considering perspectives different from theirs. Nonetheless, recognizing that liberals are evolving is paramount for conservatives, and vice versa.
Role of Spirituality in the Future: A new kind of spirituality, incorporating practices such as meditation, yoga, and the use of psychedelics will play a larger role in future societies. This posits that societal evolution does not result in the abandonment of spirituality but a shift towards a deeper and a newer way of understanding spirituality.
Potential Misuse of World Value Survey Data: There's a possibility for the misuse of the World Value Survey data to promote racist or nationalistic ideologies. It does not capture the highest stages of societal development and shouldn't be used to justify personal worldviews or biases. Multiple models should be used to understand human societies.
Existence of Higher Levels of Consciousness: According to Leo Gura, there exist levels of consciousness beyond secular rational values. Encouraging society to aim for these higher consciousness levels and stating individual development is possible regardless of societal limitations.
Social Evolution towards Progression: Society is evolving towards higher consciousness, equality, democracy, justice, and love. Individuals must choose whether to align with fear or love, selfishness, or selflessness.
Impact of Politics on Personal Growth: Politics significantly impact the environment and facilitate personal growth and awakening. Democracy requires conscious citizens, thereby emphasizing the need for more consciousness in politics.
Evolutionary Time and Societal Development: Technological advancements and cultural developments are fast compared to evolutionary time. These rapid changes can make some individuals feel left behind, nurturing fear and resistance.
National Identity's Influence on Shared Experiences: Nationality has a stronger influence on shared experiences and values than income, education, or gender. Values are a more accurate way to group people than demographics.
Shift towards Individual Autonomy in Modern Societies: Individual autonomy is shaped and nurtured by society's level of development, as modernization brings a shift towards it.
Necessity of Addressing Value Systems in Effective Democracy: Holding elections alone cannot establish effective democracy in the Muslim world. Toppling dictatorships without addressing the value systems and development of the population can be futile.
Resistance from Fundamentalists towards Secular Trends: Fundamentalists see secularization as a threat to their traditions and worldviews as the world is becoming more secular. Helping them see a higher level beyond fundamentalism is key.
Tween Generations Driving Major Cultural Changes: Younger generations and those in diverse metropolitan areas are more open to new cultural norms, leading to major cultural changes over time.
Rising Secularism in Developed Countries: Countries that have industrialized tend to become more secular, shifting towards self-expression and rational values. Democracy is driven by self-expression values, with the desire for this democratic system being universal.
Education's Role in Liberal Beliefs: Education is associated with more liberal beliefs. Happiness increases in most of the surveyed countries, an illustration of the positive shift in human values towards self-expression and rationality.
Stages of Societal Evolution: Societies evolve from hunting and gathering to horticultural, to agrarian, to industrial, and finally to post-industrial, knowledge-based economies. Economic success often leads to more education and technology, creating a positive spiral
Evolution of Societies: Societies have evolved through various stages: horticulture, agrarian, industrial, and post-industrial phases. In pre-industrial times, most people were not educated enough for anything beyond manual labor, necessitating governance through dictators and tyrants to keep order. As populations grew, education became essential to meet the need for knowledge workers for bureaucracy, leading to the establishment of extensive school systems. Once basic survival needs became easier to meet due to economic success, more education, and technological advancements, people's values began to shift from survival to self-expression and secular-rational ideologies.
Rise of Democracy and Decline of Organized Religion: With the rise in education levels and sophistication, people started demanding more rights and democracy became more prevalent. Consequently, unanimously governed monarchs and dictators were overthrown. Knowledge workers, now better educated, began to question old traditions, ideologies, and organized religions, leading to a more secular society.
Decline of Prejudice: As societies evolved, fearful and insecure attitudes like racism, xenophobia, sexism, and homophobia declined. Prosperity made people feel secure, leading to a decline in fear-based prejudices. However, the rise of secularism led to the emergence of fundamentalist movements amongst less educated and economically prosperous groups aiming to restore old ways of living, but these are temporary given the continued social and economic progress.
Generation Gap: Every new generation tends to lean more liberal than the previous one. However, older generations struggle to understand the worldview of newer generations due to their fears and experiences related to survival that no longer loom large for newer generations, which tend to be more liberal, tolerant, and open to new changes.
Collective Memory and Progress: Society functions as a collective memory bank, passing on lessons from generation to generation. The old generation's obsession with power and resistance to change, especially in matters like climate change, is a problem. Society evolution requires embracing future challenges with bravery, creativity, and risk-taking.
Change and Evolution of Societies: Over the past decades, significant transformations have occurred in societies globally due to advancements in technology, culture, infrastructure, governance, and more. Societies are not static but persistently evolving and building upon the lessons learned from previous generations. Each generation plays a pivotal role in progressing civilization by capturing these lessons in their institutions, culture, and technology.
Resistance to Change and Power Dynamics: One significant challenge currently faced is the resistance to change by older generations such as the baby boomers. These generations, clutching onto their respective power and wealth, inadvertently hinder the pace of societal advancement. For instance, the urgency to address issues like climate change is more palpable for younger generations who will bear the long-term consequences. The resistance by the older generation is fueled by their impending mortality and the financial implications of environmental action.
Moving Forward, Not Backwards: The idea of resorting back to past societal structures, ideologies, and norms to address current challenges is impractical. Societies have undergone tremendous shifts with developments in technology, population growth, corporate power, and environmental health. Therefore, addressing these issues would require innovative, courageous, and visionary approaches that align with future realities rather than past frameworks.
Liberals Versus Conservatives in Evolving Societies: On the trajectory of societal evolution, there is a shift from traditional survival values typical with conservatives to secular-rational self-expressive values, often tied with liberals. This tendency naturally labels conservatives as maintaining the status quo while liberals push for social progression. However, today's liberal becomes tomorrow's conservative, indicating a continuous intergenerational cycle as society evolves.
The Role of Spirituality in Future Societies: As societies advance through secular-rational values, there will not be a complete elimination of religion and spirituality. Instead, the future will accommodate an enhanced form of spirituality, which is more individualistic, authentic, and powerful. Religion and spirituality evolve along with society, transitioning from a dogmatic, conformist model to a more individualistic and genuine form.
Future Projections and Human Development: The World Values Survey data does not indicate levels of human development that are yet to evolve. However, by becoming more conscious, it's clear that the path of societal evolution leans towards more consciousness, equality, democracy, compassion, and love. Eventually, individual development remains critical irrespective of societal circumstances. It's essential to focus on personal growth and merge individualism and collectivism appropriately within the societal context.
Role of Spirituality in Society: Spirituality will play an increasingly significant role in societal development but will differ from traditional religious forms. It will involve mystical experiences, meditation, yoga, and non-dual conceptualizations seen in practices like psychedelics. This shift will not signify the collapse of religion or morality; instead, it will foster a deeper understanding and practice of spirituality, grounded in rational, secular values.
Societal Evolution and Value Systems: Society is not static; it is always evolving, with no specific culture, race, or group holding a monopoly over evolution or democracy. The rise in global happiness signifies progression, but individual values are not inherently true or original, often shaped by individual biases and self-deceptive rationalizations. It's crucial for liberals to understand conservative viewpoints as survival responses, and vice versa.
Generational Impact on Social Evolution: Significant societal evolution often occurs after the older generation dies off. Resistance to accepting societal progression is commonly fueled by survival instincts, threatening existing worldviews. Younger generations tend to transcend their predecessors' constraints, propelling societal evolution forward despite resistance.
The Evolution of Religion: The evolution of religious practices is often denied to uphold traditional beliefs and fend off threatening changes. However, modern practices within religions significantly differ from their original forms. Acknowledging this evolution allows for the continuous development and evolution of these practices.
Role of the World Values Survey: The World Values Survey should not be used to promote superiority claims of one society over another. The survey does not capture the highest stages of development, like Spiral Dynamics. Secular Rational values highlighted in the survey are not the ultimate goal, with levels of consciousness existing beyond that. Individuals can progress despite societal limitations, suggesting society's evolution towards consciousness, justice, and love.
Personal and Collective Growth: Personal growth should be prioritized before transforming others. Acceptance of the inevitability of societal evolution is vital, and open-mindedness towards future societal changes is necessary. Recognizing the generational and geographical influence on individual perspectives encourages personal and collective growth.
Limitations of the World Values Survey: The survey does not fully accurately depict cultural evolution or anticipate future progress. It does not capture values limited to a small portion of the society. Models like this survey are to be used as lenses to understand reality, not as dogmas or ideologies, and should not be used to justify personal biases.
Understanding and Using the World Values Survey: The World Values Survey should be used to correlate and compare different models while considering their limitations, biases, and assumptions.
Individual Self-Actualization and Empowerment: Despite societal trends, individuals can self-actualize even in less developed countries. There may be additional challenges and obstacles, but individuals shouldn't let the collective conclusions limit personal growth and spiritual development.
Purpose and Goal of Actualized.org: Leo emphasizes the importance of personal development and consciousness, which can influence societal change. Their content is aimed to support individuals in realizing their highest potential and leading consciously in society.
Importance of Politics in Personal Growth and Awakening: Politics plays a significant role in creating a conducive environment for personal growth and awakening. Successful democracies require conscious citizens, making political consciousness an essential component of societal development.
Evolution of Societies: Societies are evolving towards more consciousness, equality, democracy, justice, and love. As part of this collective movement, individuals have a choice - to align with fear or love, selfishness or selflessness.
Role and influence of Actualize.org: Actualize.org provides practical tools and resources like blog posts, forums, life purpose courses, etc. to assist individuals in their self-actualization journey. Leo encourages the audience to use these resources for their personal growth.
Politics and Personal Awakening: Politics creates the necessary infrastructure for personal awakening to occur. For awakening to be accessible, societal and political changes should be implemented to foster consciousness.
Concept of Conscious Politics: Leo emphasizes the importance of infusing politics with consciousness. Political consciousness involves recognizing the interconnectivity of societal elements and the individual's responsibility within the collective. It is vital for promoting democracy and facilitating the collective movement towards greater consciousness.
Future Development of the World Values Survey: The survey, at its current stage, may not include the highest level of development like Spiral Dynamics, and therefore, should not be used to justify personal biases. Rather, it should be used to understand global trends, keeping in mind that societal evolution doesn't limit individual growth.
Conscious Transformation: Leo stresses that individual transformation should precede attempts at transforming others. First, one must build oneself, then concentrate on making others more conscious, developed, and "woke."
Advancement of Society: Leo concludes that the overall societal trajectory is moving towards more consciousness, equality, democracy, justice, and love, leaving individuals with the choice of alignment.
Final Thoughts: Leo concludes by emphasizing the importance of societal evolution towards greater consciousness. Society isn't just a collection of individuals but also collective forces and each individual is responsible for the collective actions.
Significance of More Consciousness in Politics: Leo stresses that more consciousness in politics is necessary for societal growth and upholding democracies. He encourages individuals to stay aware and actively participate in politics while continuing their personal development and self-help initiatives.