Open

What allows humans to flourish? Throughout history, it has been our openness to trade, ideas, and collaboration that has driven progress.

1. Cooperation is Humanity's Greatest Strength

Since the early days of humanity, cooperation has been the driving force behind survival and progress. Over 3.2 million years ago, Australopithecus afarensis, an early ancestor of humans, evolved to adapt to environmental changes. Unlike our chimpanzee-like ancestors who lived in rainforests, they thrived in the open savannah due to their ability to work together.

By developing skills like coordinated stone-throwing, they brought down animals much larger than themselves. This united effort was the stepping stone of collaboration as we know it. Psychologist William von Hippel calls this a "social leap," the beginning of humans transferring knowledge and skills to one another. This exchange is what triggered rapid progress.

Homo sapiens prevailed over Neanderthals largely because of their open trade and collaborative mindset. While Neanderthals remained isolated, Homo sapiens divided work between hunters, gatherers, and creators, leading to societal development and prosperity.

Examples

• Australopithecus afarensis built tools together to survive.
• Coordinated hunting efforts with shared labor brought efficiency.
• Neanderthals' isolation stifled their comparative development.

2. Cities and Free Trade Were Early Catalysts of Prosperity

Cities weren’t built for protection; they were a result of wealth created through cooperation and trade. With farming and the division of labor, people could specialize in their talents, generating significant strides in medicine, math, and innovation.

The Phoenicians exemplified how trade fosters prosperity. They built a vast trading network extending across the Mediterranean and introduced a 22-letter alphabet, paving the way for the universal trade language used in modern times. Their openness was a foundation for global exchange and progress.

However, societies that failed to defend this wealth and trade often perished. For instance, Phoenician cities thrived for nearly 2,000 years but were eventually overtaken by expansive empires like the Babylonians and Romans.

Examples

• Mesopotamian cities generated wealth through farming and labor specialization.
• Phoenicians created key technologies like glass-blowing and their alphabet.
• The fall of the Phoenicians shows the fragility of unprotected trade networks.

3. Enlightenment Wasn't Exclusive to Europe

The European Enlightenment is often seen as the birthplace of modernity, but historical evidence proves that other regions experienced similar periods of progress under open, tolerant regimes. Between the eighth and twelfth centuries, the Islamic Golden Age flourished, keeping scientific knowledge alive as Europe entered the Dark Ages.

The Islamic world embraced diverse cultures, fostering innovation in algebra, medicine, and astronomy. Their openness created a thriving intellectual hub. Similarly, during China's Song Dynasty, trade and acceptance of ideas from foreigners led to remarkable advancements in governance, technology, and the economy.

However, both societies entered periods of decline when intolerance and invasions by the Mongols seized control, curbing their progress.

Examples

• Islamic scholars preserved and expanded Aristotle's works.
• Universities like Morocco’s Al-Karaouine symbolized intellectual exchange.
• China's Song Dynasty reached a level of societal advancement comparable to 18th-century Europe.

4. Europe's Reawakening through Openness

In the twelfth century, Europe began rediscovering forgotten knowledge. When Christian forces conquered Toledo in Spain, they uncovered libraries full of Islamic-translated texts from Aristotle and other thinkers. This rekindled Europe’s intellectual appetite.

By the fifteenth century, newfound open trade routes with the Far East and the New World enriched Europe’s economy and knowledge. The Dutch Republic soon became an epitome of progress due to its embrace of diversity. Immigrants fueled innovation, and the Dutch invested in industries like chocolate and shipbuilding.

This open-mindedness paved the way for the Industrial Revolution, setting the stage for global progress that other nations eventually adopted.

Examples

• Toledo’s Muslim library revitalized intellectual thought in Europe.
• The Dutch welcomed immigrants who contributed to economic booms.
• The Dutch Republic’s shipbuilding gained global dominance.

5. Trade Benefits Everyone in the Long Run

Free trade isn’t a zero-sum game where one side loses for another to win. Nations that freely exchange ideas, goods, and labor create mutual prosperity over time. The Dutch, for example, lacked critical resources like timber or grain but thrived through trade.

Through trade, value continues to multiply as goods are exchanged and recycled into new products, generating unforeseen utility and innovation. Over the past 200 years, global income and economies have soared, demonstrating how interconnectedness helps everyone.

Examples

• The Dutch traded Indian goods to generate wealth across multiple ports.
• Between 1820 and today, global average income rose from $3 to $100/day.
• Wealth-sharing systems like trade fostered innovation from nation to nation.

6. Fear Hinders Openness and Progress

Although openness has fueled our progress, human nature often resists it. In times of uncertainty, people instinctively become wary of outsiders, prioritizing security over collaboration. Following events like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, many countries leaned toward nationalism.

Studies suggest that mortality reminders increase in-group favoritism. For example, participants ranked people of their own religion higher after being reminded of danger or death. However, history has shown that isolation leads to stagnation rather than solutions.

Examples

• Post-9/11, anti-immigration policies rose in many countries.
• The 2008 crisis caused a resurgence in protectionism worldwide.
• Islamic and Chinese societies declined when they became insular.

7. Authoritarian Regimes Stagnate Innovation

Looking to strongmen and authoritarian governments for security often comes at the expense of creativity and freedom. Countries like North Korea and the former Soviet Union illustrate how central control stifles progress.

For instance, the Soviet Union faltered in developing computers because the state discouraged entrepreneurial risks. Comparatively, in free societies, initiatives like home computing created entirely new industries and job opportunities.

Examples

• North Korea failed to develop innovation under rigid control.
• The Soviet Union couldn’t advance with its limited technology policy.
• The U.S. created entirely new internet-based industries without oversight.

8. Openness Drives Solutions to Modern Problems

Today’s crises, like climate change, demand collective solutions. A problem like reducing global emissions will require global cooperation. Knowledge-sharing and open discussions can lead to practical strategies like imposing a carbon tax to incentivize innovation.

Additionally, embracing more diverse collaborations allows for creative breakthroughs, further solving humanity's most pressing problems.

Examples

• Proposals for carbon taxes align incentives for businesses and individuals.
• International emission reduction agreements reflect cooperative ideas.
• Historically, shared global challenges like eradicating disease required openness.

9. The Past Teaches Us That Progress Comes Through Unity

Periods of enlightenment have consistently coincided with tolerance, trade, and shared knowledge. Rejecting authoritarianism and looking beyond borders ensure that innovation thrives and humanity's brightest futures come to light.

The author reminds us that nostalgia for the "simpler past" ignores the grinding poverty and restricted freedoms that used to dominate societies. Progress arises from inclusivity and openness, not closed doors.

Examples

• The Industrial Revolution's success came from exchanging global ideas.
• Regional empires in decline reemphasized self-sufficiency over unity, worsening issues.
• Anti-immigration periods yielded economic stagnation.

Takeaways

1. Reinforce policies that promote cultural exchange and openness to ideas, especially in times of crisis or uncertainty.
2. Embrace cooperation and shared problem-solving to address modern challenges like climate change.
3. Resist authoritarian tendencies by valuing inclusiveness and diversity, enabling innovation to thrive.