A thread through the archive
Essays tagged “cultural differences”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to reader comments on his article about Matt Yglesias and Nietzschean philosophy, exploring various perspectives on master and slave morality.
Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on his post about dating preferences, covering various perspectives and addressing critiques of 'dating docs'.
Scott Alexander reviews 'America Against America', a 1988 book by Chinese political scientist Wang Huning, analyzing his observations of US society and institutions after a brief stay in Iowa.
Scott Alexander explores various explanations for why some people don't respond to 'woo' practices, questioning whether non-responders are defective or if woo itself might be ineffective or even harmful.
Scott Alexander addresses reader comments on his Columbus Day post, covering historical and cultural controversies around holidays and Columbus.
Scott Alexander compiles and summarizes reader comments on his article about Xi Jinping, covering various aspects of Xi's rule and Chinese politics.
Scott Alexander reviews 'Crazy Like Us', exploring how Western mental health concepts spread globally and whether raising awareness of mental health problems might make them worse.
Scott Alexander reviews a book about Chinese education, comparing it to criticisms of US schools and examining evidence for discipline-focused vs. creativity-focused approaches to education.
Scott Alexander tests the claim that mathematicians' preference for algebra or analysis predicts their corn-eating style, finding no significant correlation in a survey of over 2,600 respondents.
Scott Alexander examines self-serving bias and status quo defense using Oregon's gas station law change, arguing for better rational debate skills to navigate societal changes.
Scott Alexander shares fascinating excerpts from 'Legal Systems Very Different From Ours', highlighting unique aspects of various historical and cultural legal systems.
Scott reviews 'Albion's Seed' by David Fischer, exploring how four British cultural groups that settled colonial America shaped regional cultures and may still influence modern US political divisions.
Scott Alexander examines different models of social class in America, exploring their implications for understanding society and politics.
Scott Alexander explores the idea that many adults may be missing crucial cognitive abilities, and that rationality and cognitive therapy might be teaching these missing developmental milestones.
Scott Alexander shares intriguing excerpts from 'Willpower', a book on self-control, while cautioning readers about the claims' reliability and expressing skepticism about some assertions.
Scott examines phatic communication and anti-inductive systems, exploring their roles in social interactions, job-seeking, and psychotherapy, and suggests the value of balancing both approaches.
Scott compares ancient and modern descriptions of bipolar disorder, finding significant similarities that suggest the condition is biologically grounded rather than culturally determined.
A collection of interesting links from around the web with Scott's commentary, covering topics from international politics to scientific research to cultural curiosities.
Scott Alexander argues that many debates are 'bravery debates' where different groups need opposing advice, making it challenging to target advice effectively.