[pkukkapalli]

Don't necessarily think the distinction is low-compliance vs. high-compliance. Many developing countries are high-compliance, and enact oppressive measures all the time. I think it's low expectations vs. high expectations.

In western society, there are so many expectations placed on every single moment of your life. Everyday at school is important, because you need to get into x, y, and z colleges. Everyday at work is important, because you need to grind to get a promotion so you can get more money and prestige. Having an active social life is important, because you need to mingle with as many people your age as possible so you can find the "one." You also need to spend some time "finding yourself." In your free time, you could be trading crypto, or investing in stocks, or working on a startup. Every moment is critical, and must be used for achieving some over-arching goal of self-actualization to leave your "unique" mark in the world. This isn't necessarily bad, and has led to some fantastic worldly achievements, but when you're going 100 mph all the time, there's no room for the silence required to know yourself. It's like you're spending all this energy trying to create yourself when you're right here all this time, and nothing you've done so far has changed that.

Eastern (developing) societies have no such tension. You do well in school, because that is what will get you a good job, not to change the world. No alumnus is speaking to you saying they're looking at Presidents, astronauts, inventors, etc. Mom or dad can introduce you to someone that they think would be suitable for marriage, and her parents agree because you did the work to get a decent job. Then, you can get married and have kids so that you have someone to care for, and someone to care for you when your parents get too old or pass away. There's never a sense that you need to do something truly new and unique. They are simply happier with less, and don't place undue expectations on their life. There are so many quiet moments in your life where you can be yourself without any expectations. You do not worry about whether the world will remember who you are. You've already done everything that could be expected of you.

I know there are exceptions in both cases, but ultimately people become sad and suicidal when they feel their life isn't worth living. Which society makes it easier to say your life was well lived?