[pfannkuchen]

There are a number of ways to get to a high trust society. Europeans aren’t the only ones who achieved it.

I think people want to move to European derived places because of a) the positive long terms side effects of a society being high trust and b) a greater openness to outsiders among high trust societies, compared to e.g. East Asians, probably due to Christianity being a universalist religion. Like Japan is as nice if not nicer than most European derived places in terms of high trust-ness, but historically they haven’t really allowed people outside their ethnic sphere to move there in large numbers.

[kevin_thibedeau]

> being a universalist religion

Minus the whole crusades and inquisition thing.

[pfannkuchen]

Universalist meaning they allow and want outsiders to become Christian and accept them as part of the in group once they convert.

Crusades and inquisition are perfectly compatible with that.

I’m an atheist by the way, I know once you express some position everyone tends to assume you have whatever standard package includes that position. I also don’t think this universalism has been a good thing long term. It united Europeans too quickly and destroyed their various separate identities while replacing it with something that is essentially a blender (in the sharp blades destroying things connotation, not the delicious fruit smoothie creation connotation).