The Weirdest People in the World

1. WEIRD psychology: A product of Western Church's influence

WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical.

Psychological peculiarity. Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies exhibit a distinct psychology that sets them apart from most of human history and the majority of contemporary cultures. This psychology is characterized by:

• Individualism and self-focus
• Analytical thinking
• Impersonal prosociality
• Guilt over shame
• Moral universalism

Historical roots. The origins of WEIRD psychology can be traced back to the influence of the Western Church, particularly during the Middle Ages. The Church's teachings and policies gradually reshaped European social structures and norms, leading to a cascading effect on psychology over centuries.

2. The Church's Marriage and Family Program reshaped European kinship

The Church dramatically undercut the potency of marriage as a social technology and a source of patriarchal power by prohibiting polygynous unions, arranged marriages, and all marriages between both blood and affinal kinfolk.

Radical transformation. The Western Church's Marriage and Family Program (MFP) systematically dismantled traditional kinship structures in Europe through a series of prohibitions and prescriptions:

• Ban on cousin marriages (up to sixth cousins at one point)
• Prohibition of polygamy
• Discouragement of adoption
• Promotion of neolocal residence
• Emphasis on individual consent in marriage

Long-term impact. These policies weakened extended family ties, reduced arranged marriages, and promoted the nuclear family model. This restructuring of kinship laid the groundwork for more individualistic and impersonal social structures.

3. Dissolution of kin-based institutions led to WEIRD psychology

Freed from family obligations and inherited interdependence, individuals began to choose their own associates—their friends, spouses, business partners, and even patrons—and construct their own relational networks.

Psychological shift. The breakdown of intensive kin-based institutions had profound effects on European psychology:

• Increased individualism and self-reliance
• Greater analytical thinking
• Enhanced impersonal trust and fairness
• Reduced conformity and obedience to tradition

Societal implications. This psychological transformation facilitated the emergence of new social structures and institutions:

• Voluntary associations
• Impersonal markets
• Representative governance
• Formalized legal systems

4. Market integration fostered impersonal prosociality

Market norms encourage an approach orientation and a positive-sum worldview but demand a sensitivity to the intentions and actions of others.

Economic influence. Greater market integration in societies is associated with higher levels of impersonal prosociality:

• Increased fairness towards strangers
• Enhanced trust in anonymous others
• Stronger adherence to universal moral principles

Experimental evidence. Cross-cultural studies using economic games (e.g., Ultimatum Game, Dictator Game) demonstrate that individuals from more market-integrated societies exhibit:

• Higher offers to anonymous partners
• Greater willingness to punish unfair behavior
• Increased cooperation with strangers

These findings suggest that market norms shape psychology in ways that promote impersonal exchange and cooperation beyond kinship networks.

5. Voluntary associations emerged as alternatives to kin-based groups

Freed from the constraints and securities of kin-based institutions, people were seeking new voluntary relationships, associations, and communities.

New social structures. As kin-based institutions weakened, Europeans increasingly formed and joined voluntary associations:

• Guilds
• Religious orders
• Universities
• Charter towns
• Merchant organizations

Psychological adaptation. These new social structures required and reinforced different psychological traits:

• Greater trust in strangers
• Willingness to cooperate based on shared interests rather than kinship
• Increased emphasis on individual merit and achievement

The proliferation of voluntary associations created a feedback loop, further promoting WEIRD psychology and institutions.

6. Wars and competition shaped WEIRD psychology and institutions

War, like natural disasters, also increases people's religious commitments.

Psychological impact of conflict. Wars and intergroup competition have significant effects on psychology:

• Increased in-group cooperation
• Enhanced religious commitment
• Strengthened adherence to social norms

Institutional evolution. In the European context, centuries of warfare contributed to the development of WEIRD institutions:

• Representative assemblies
• Professional armies
• Taxation systems
• Public debt financing

Benign competition. Modern forms of intergroup competition, such as interfirm rivalry, can produce similar psychological effects without the destructive aspects of war:

• Increased impersonal trust
• Enhanced cooperation with strangers
• Promotion of impartial norms and institutions

7. Cultural evolution drove the development of WEIRD societies

Cultural evolution can generate increasingly sophisticated technologies, complex languages, psychologically-potent rituals, effective institutions, and intricate protocols for making tools, houses, weapons, and watercraft.

Cumulative process. The development of WEIRD psychology and institutions was not designed or planned, but rather emerged through a process of cultural evolution:

• Successful norms and institutions spread through various mechanisms
• Intergroup competition favored more effective social arrangements
• Psychological adaptations co-evolved with institutional changes

Key drivers. Several factors contributed to the unique evolutionary pathway of WEIRD societies:

• The Church's Marriage and Family Program
• Increasing market integration
• Proliferation of voluntary associations
• Persistent intergroup competition

This cultural evolutionary process, operating over centuries, transformed European psychology and institutions, eventually leading to the emergence of modern WEIRD societies.

Last updated: August 9, 2024