The Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous

The general take

Joseph Henrich presents the book as an exploration of how monogamous nuclear families and impersonal institutions fundamentally restructured human psychology by loosening kinship bonds. The framing is academic and explanatory rather than promotional, focusing on historical causation as a central argument of the work.

About

A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 A Bloomberg Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020 A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2020 A Human Behavior & Evolution Society Must-Read Popular Evolution Book of 2020 A bold, epic account of how the co-evolution of psychology and culture created the peculiar Western mind that has profoundly shaped the modern world. Perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. If so, you’re rather psychologically peculiar. Unlike much of the world today, and most people who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical. They focus on themselves―their attributes, accomplishments, and aspirations―over their relationships and social roles. How did WEIRD populations become so psychologically distinct?

Who said what

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  Joseph Henrich💬 Mentioned

  …discussing how cultural institutions shaped movement of ideas and innovation in europe

  “I really think that that is a core idea. And I bring that out in The Weirdest People in the World in my book. So when these monogamous nuclear families formed and these impersonal institutions became created, people were released from the bonds of their kinship.”

  Hidden Brain — The Past is Never Deadat 52:24

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