#individualism — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: August 25, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Individualism and income appear to shape relationship status across 59 countries

URL: https://www.psypost.org/personal-demographics-and-cultural-values-jointly-predict-singlehood/

Whether a person remains single is linked to a combination of personal circumstances and the cultural values of the country they live in. A large study published in PLOS One found that personal traits like age and income relate to relationship status differently depending on how much a society values individualism and adaptability. These findings suggest that singlehood is shaped by broad cultural environments rather than just individual choices.

Over the past few decades, the traditional family structure has shifted in many parts of the world. In the United States, Canada, and various European and Asian nations, the population of single adults has grown steadily. Researchers want to understand the broad societal forces driving this trend. Past sociological research has mostly focused on personal characteristics, such as education levels or economic stability.

Psychologists Marta Kowal and Katarzyna Adamczyk, based at the University of Wrocław and Adam Mickiewicz University respectively, wanted to expand on this past research. They suspected that personal demographic characteristics might operate differently depending on the surrounding culture. The researchers decided to examine how national culture interacts with personal circumstances to predict relationship status.

To measure culture, the researchers relied on a framework known as the Minkov-Hofstede model. This model divides national cultures into two main spectrums. The first spectrum is individualism versus collectivism. Individualistic cultures value personal freedom, independence, and self-reliance. Collectivistic cultures prioritize tradition, strict social rules, and group loyalty.

The second cultural spectrum is flexibility versus monumentalism. Flexible cultures, often found in East Asia, value adaptability, humility, self-control, and long-term goals like acquiring a good education. Monumentalist cultures, which the model associates with regions like Latin America and the Arab world, value an unchanging and proud sense of self. Monumentalist societies encourage people to follow their impulses, seek immediate gratification, and remain invariant in their values.

To conduct the study, Kowal and Adamczyk analyzed an existing dataset from the World Values Survey. The researchers utilized a large sample of 71,169 individuals across 59 countries. The data, collected between 2017 and 2021, included detailed interviews conducted at the participants’ homes.

The researchers categorized participants based on their relationship status. People who were married or living together as married were classified as partnered. Those who were single and never married were classified as single. For the main analysis, the researchers excluded people who were divorced, widowed, or separated.

The researchers then gathered personal details for each participant, including their age, sex, hometown size, education level, income, and employment status. Next, they assigned each participant a cultural score based on their country of residence. They used established national scores for both the individualism and flexibility spectrums.

Finally, the researchers used a statistical technique that allowed them to look at data on multiple levels at once. This method let them evaluate how national cultural trends might alter the effects of personal demographics on a person’s relationship status. A secondary analysis that included divorced and widowed individuals as single yielded the exact same statistical patterns.

The analysis revealed several consistent patterns across all countries. People were more likely to be single if they were younger, male, and living in larger towns. Higher education levels, lower income, and unemployment were also associated with a greater likelihood of being single.

These demographic associations align with expectations from past sociological research. Younger people are still in the phase of searching for a partner. Educational expansion delays entry into the workforce, which often pushes back the timeline for marriage. A lack of economic stability, characterized by unemployment or low income, can discourage people from committing to serious relationships.

The sex and location differences also matched established patterns. Women often face more social pressure to marry, which may make them less likely to remain single compared to men. Living in larger urban areas often correlates with a lower adherence to traditional family values, creating environments where singlehood is more socially accepted.

National culture also played a direct role in predicting relationship status. People living in highly individualistic countries were more likely to be single. Individualism grants people the freedom to behave according to their own beliefs, making a single lifestyle an easier path to choose.

People in less flexible, or more monumentalist, countries were also more likely to be single. Because monumentalist cultures encourage people to follow their immediate impulses and desires rather than prioritizing long-term goals, they may promote short-term dating over settling down into a long-term partnership.

The study uncovered notable interactions between personal traits and cultural values. In more individualistic countries, the link between being single and having a lower income or being unemployed was much stronger. Individualistic societies expect young people to become self-reliant and secure their own financial resources before starting a family. If a person lacks those resources in an individualistic culture, they are highly likely to remain single.

The connection between being male and being single was also stronger in individualistic nations. The researchers proposed that individualistic cultures emphasize independence. This cultural emphasis aligns with the traditional social expectation that men should be self-reliant, potentially making singlehood an expected path for men in those societies.

In monumentalist countries, older age was more strongly associated with singlehood than it was in flexible countries. Monumentalist cultures encourage people to live authentically according to their personal desires rather than conforming to societal expectations. Since older adults tend to conform less to social pressures as they age, they may be more inclined to live independently in societies that celebrate personal authenticity.

The researchers noted a few limitations to their work. The data used in the analysis was observational, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect. While lower income and unemployment predict a higher likelihood of singlehood, it is also possible that living alone leads to different financial outcomes. The relationship between these factors could go in both directions.

The analysis also grouped all single and never-married people into one unified category. Single individuals are a highly diverse group with different dating histories and personal desires. Some people actively choose to remain single, while others are involuntarily single.

Future research could expand on these findings by tracking people over time to observe how their relationship status evolves. Researchers could also look at other cultural dimensions to see how the freedom to choose new social groups affects the likelihood of finding a partner.

The study, “Sociodemographic and cultural factors are related to singlehood rates: A multilevel analysis across 59 countries from the World Values Survey,” was authored by Marta Kowal and Katarzyna Adamczyk.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/personal-demographics-and-cultural-values-jointly-predict-singlehood/

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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Singlehood #RelationshipStatus #Individualism #CulturalFactors #WorldValuesSurvey #Sociology #Demographics #Urbanization #MonumentalistCulture #FlexibilityVsMonumentalism

How Sweden became a country of big-state libertarians.

Few ideological causes ever united Bernie Sanders, an American politician so left-wing he could run for office as a European centrist, and Charlie Kirk, a Trumpian firebrand.

A rare point of agreement among them, oddly, was the appeal of Sweden.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260820-how-sweden-became-a-country-of-big-state-libertarians?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Sweden #Politics #BernieSanders #CharlieKirk #Individualism #Collectivism

A quotation from Teddy Roosevelt

The teaching which I received was genuinely democratic in one way. It was not so democratic in another. I grew into manhood thoroughly imbued with the feeling that a man must be respected for what he made of himself. But I had also, consciously or unconsciously, been taught that socially and industrially pretty much the whole duty of the man lay in thus making the best of himself; that he should be honest in his dealings with others and charitable in the old-fashioned way to the unfortunate; but that it was no part of his business to join with others in trying to make things better for the many by curbing the abnormal and excessive development of individualism in a few.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) American politician, statesman, conservationist, writer, US President (1901–1909)
Autobiography, ch. 1 “Boyhood and Youth” (1913)

More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-theodore/8…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #teddyroosevelt #theodoreroosevelt #collective #commoncause #commoninterest #community #exploitation #individualism #mutualresponsibility #mutualsupport #progress #reform #respect #selfcenteredness #selfmade #selfishness

Only 2 Hands – A guided meditation as a poem

I only have two hands.
The world is beyond my control.
The world has always been beyond my control.
The world will always be beyond my control.
The world does not depend on me.
Is okay and natural that the world is beyond my control.
There was a time when I was not in the world, there
will be a time again when I am not in the world.
The world does not depend on Me,
and that is a wonderful thing.
I only have two hands,

I only have two hands,
but I have two hands.
This is the most amazing gift.
I am alive and I am aware
with these hands, I can make the world kinder, healthier and livelier.
With these hands, I can make the world harsher, angry, violent,
but the world goes on with or without me.

I only have one voice,
but I have a voice,
and that is the most Amazing thing.
I am awake and I am alert.
With this voice,
I can make the world wise fascinating and beautiful.
With this voice, I can make the world confusing or true,
false or clear,
a travesty or an equity.
But the world goes on With or without me.

I only have one lifetime in this form,
this form with two feet,
this form with two hands,
this form with one voice,
this form with this mind,
the moss goes on without me.
The ants go on without me.
The trees go on without me.
The sun burns on without me.

I cannot direct the affairs of the world.
I cannot direct the turning of the earth.
I cannot direct the tides of the oceans.
I cannot scrap and recreate my life circumstance,
but I can steer my life’s flow.
The affairs of the world are beyond my control, and always will be.
But I can mold the process of my living experience
When I am aware of how I shape my living experience, I create better results.

I cannot direct the affairs of the world,
just as I cannot direct the weaving of every spider’s web,
but participating with others in co creation.
I can still cultivate change in the natural world.
I can still cultivate change in the human world.
I have the realization that the natural world is real and fundamental.
I have the realization that the human world cannot be separated from the natural world.
I have the realization that the human world is an organic flowering of the natural world.

I have the realization also that the natural world goes on without the human world,
just as the human world goes on without me.
The world is not conditioned on people,
just as it is not conditioned on my existence.
I am alive, awake, aware and alert.
I have the realization that this life is a precious gift.
I resolve and aspire to appreciate this gift and spend it wisely.

The final bell is In 60 seconds.
Thank you for listening to only two hands, a meditation by Cooper Dozier.

[ Intro I removed so it reads like a poem:

Only two hands. By Cooper Dozier. A bell will ring before each speaking part. This meditation is 23 minutes long. The silences in between speaking parts are about 90 to 100 seconds long. There is no requirement to follow the meditation as presented. Feel free to take any path that appears to you. I hope we all have a fruitful exploration. Settle in. The first bell will ring in 30 seconds. Loosen up and stretch your joints if you like. Try to take a comfortable posture which you can hold. Should you encounter mental or emotional difficulties? Feel free to open your eyes. Take a break or stop if needed. ]

Featured Image:

DATE: July 29, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: How culture shapes the psychological costs of narcissism

URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-shapes-the-psychological-costs-of-narcissism/

People who exhibit specific types of narcissistic traits experience different levels of personal well-being depending on the cultural values of the society they live in. While the tendency to seek admiration is consistently linked to greater happiness worldwide, a more hostile form of narcissism exacts a heavier psychological toll on individuals living in highly individualistic countries. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Personality.

Psychologists generally view grandiose narcissism not as a single trait but as a combination of two distinct behavioral strategies. The first strategy is narcissistic admiration. This involves a confident approach to boosting one’s own image, marked by charm, assertiveness, and a desire to be the center of attention.

The second strategy is narcissistic rivalry. This acts as a defensive mechanism aimed at protecting an inflated sense of self. People scoring high in narcissistic rivalry tend to perceive others as threats, leading them to act with hostility, sensitivity to criticism, and a tendency to put other people down.

Previous psychology research has established that these two dimensions have opposite relationships with emotional health in Western populations. Admiration tends to correlate with high self-esteem and happiness. Rivalry tends to correlate with depression and lower life satisfaction.

Wang Zheng and Zhiyu Liu, researchers at East China Normal University, wanted to understand if these psychological patterns hold true across a global spectrum. They focused specifically on the cultural concepts of individualism and collectivism.

Individualistic societies, such as those in North America and Western Europe, prioritize personal autonomy, self-expression, and individual achievement. Collectivistic societies, which are common in parts of Asia and South America, place a higher premium on group cohesion, relational obligations, and social harmony.

The researchers based their hypothesis on a psychological concept known as person-culture fit. This theory suggests that the psychological outcomes of a personality trait depend on how well that behavior aligns with prevailing cultural norms. Traits that fit the culture are socially rewarded, while traits that violate cultural expectations can cause social friction and emotional strain.

To test their ideas, the researchers analyzed data from a large study encompassing 51,070 participants across 57 distinct societies. The participants were originally surveyed as part of a separate international collaborative project exploring social attitudes and mental health during a recent global event.

In this survey, participants rated their agreement with statements designed to measure different facets of narcissism. To measure narcissistic admiration, they responded to items regarding a belief that their outstanding contributions deserve attention. To measure narcissistic rivalry, they answered items regarding a desire for their rivals to fail.

To assess overall well-being, the participants rated their life satisfaction and general happiness on a numerical scale. The researchers then mapped these individual responses onto country-wide datasets that quantified how individualistic or collectivistic each society is. They used two separate cultural indices to ensure their results were mathematically robust.

The researchers relied on statistical models to account for the layered nature of the data. They controlled for individual factors that could skew the results, such as age, gender, subjective social status, and whether the participant lived in an urban or rural area. They also adjusted for national differences in economic development and wealth inequality.

Zheng and Liu found that narcissistic admiration was positively associated with well-being across all 57 societies. This positive link did not change based on the cultural backdrop. Individuals who confidently sought admiration reported higher levels of happiness regardless of where they lived.

The universal nature of this positive association suggests that seeking competence, recognition, and self-enhancement might fulfill basic psychological needs. The researchers suggest that the pursuit of admiration functions as a socially adaptive strategy that helps people find meaning and build self-worth across any cultural setting.

In contrast, the researchers found that narcissistic rivalry was negatively associated with well-being. People with an antagonistic approach to protecting their egos generally reported lower levels of life satisfaction and happiness globally.

The intensity of this negative association shifted depending on the cultural context. In highly individualistic societies, the psychological cost of narcissistic rivalry was magnified. Individuals exhibiting aggressive self-protection in these cultures reported lower well-being compared to similar individuals in other countries.

The researchers theorize that individualistic cultures emphasize cooperative independence and mutual respect. When individuals in these societies act with hostility and devalue others, they likely experience increased interpersonal friction and social rejection, which ultimately harms their emotional health.

In more collectivistic societies, the negative association between narcissistic rivalry and well-being was considerably weaker. The researchers suggest that cultural norms in these regions might provide structural buffers that prevent narcissistic individuals from spiraling into distress.

Collectivistic cultures often restrict the outward expression of socially disruptive behaviors. A societal emphasis on family relationships and indirect communication might force individuals to manage their antagonism more quietly. This regulation might prevent interpersonal conflicts from escalating and irreparably damaging an individual’s emotional stability.

The findings offer practical insights for mental health professionals and organizational leaders working in multicultural environments. The results suggest that professionals should evaluate the broader social context when assessing narcissistic behaviors.

Not all forms of narcissism carry the exact same risks. Because the drive for admiration can support emotional resilience and ambition globally, professionals might avoid pathologizing basic self-confidence. Conversely, they might need to pay closer attention to antagonistic behaviors that pose unique risks in highly independent cultures.

The study has a few limitations that pave the way for future research. The cross-sectional design of the survey means the researchers measured all variables at a single point in time. This prevents them from determining whether narcissistic traits directly cause subsequent changes in personal well-being.

Additionally, the survey only measured well-being using two general statements about life satisfaction and happiness. Future analyses could incorporate a broader range of mental health indicators, such as a localized sense of purpose or a detailed measurement of psychological flourishing.

The researchers also noted that they assigned cultural scores based on the nation a person lived in. A national average might not accurately capture an individual participant’s personal alignment with societal expectations or the specific values of their local community.

The present analysis focused exclusively on grandiose narcissism. It remains unknown how cultural differences affect people with vulnerable narcissism. This alternate subtype is characterized by quiet self-doubt, emotional volatility, and deep-seated insecurities that might interact with social expectations in entirely different ways.

The study, “Narcissistic Admiration, Rivalry, and Well- Being: A Multilevel Study Across 57 Societies,” was authored by Wang Zheng and Zhiyu Liu.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-culture-shapes-the-psychological-costs-of-narcissism/

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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org

Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Narcissism #NarcissisticAdmiration #NarcissisticRivalry #WellBeing #CulturalPsychology #Individualism #Collectivism #CrossCulturalStudy #MentalHealth #SelfEsteem

Why is it so hard to create communes and communities? Maybe it's because this individualist culture maks it difficult.

#communes
#communalculture
#individualism

https://communelifeblog.wordpress.com/2022/11/14/creating-communal-culture/

The Cruelty of Not Intruding

https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/

From a social science perspective, the key error of nationalism and racism is to prioritise one people's history over another's. Each individual and each society evolved within its own context, and all historical contexts are equally valid, understandable, and worthy of respect.

#socialscience #nationalism #racism #history #context #evolution #validity #understanding #respect #dei #diversity #equality #inclusion #ignorance #individualism #collectivism

This is such a straw man and false dilemma fallacy. People don’t have to work for either private capitalists or the state/collective/society. There is another alternative where people work for themselves individually or jointly: #EconomicDemocracy. This position isn’t justified with appeals to collective authority, but rather liberal individual inalienable #HumanRights theory.

https://youtube.com/shorts/x-lIb2MGQ2w

#politics #individualism #individualist #socialism #capitalism #communism #liberty #mutualism

hello everyone! my name is Rusty, but i also go by the names Alex, Alexander, and Hamilton!
I am a host of The Hamilplex/Alexander Hamilton's Jury, a mixed origin system of over 245k!

my pronouns are He/It/Vamp/Star/Pup
i am orientationfull, but mainly omniromantic, aroace spec, bi/gay/lesboy

we collectively have Autism (lvl 2.5, maybe 3), ADHD (combined type), OCD (pure O maybe), GAD/SAD, StPD, NPD, AvPD, Paranoid PD, HPD, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, PTSD, DPDR, traits of BPD and DPD, and possible Pica, ODD, and OCPD

i am a nonhuman creature (Otherkin + other kin labels)
im currently reorganizing my kinlist so i will link it here when its done!

#1 Hamilton fan (obvi)
I kin Alexander Hamilton. both his musical counterpart and his historical counterpart, however i experience it (and my other human kins) in a nonhuman way

my other headmates will post here and will mark if theyre posting, but i wont :p

i use very controversial labels other than the ones mentioned, but theres too many to put here x_x

Green/Eco, Queer, Feminist, Techno/Transhumanist, Individualist, Techno, Communist, Anarchist (like im anarcho- of all of them)

"Capitalism and Authoritarian Communist are just 2 sides of the same coin. Fascism and Nationalism are the ring that bind them together" - Matthew, another host in this system

Theistic Satanist and Earth Religionist

if you have any questions, just ask!
#introduction

edit: adding more tags x_x
#hamilton #anarchism #communist #individualism #transhumanism #greenanarchy #greenanarchism #queer #lgbt #lgbtqia2s #feminism #TERFsDNI #disabled #autism #adhd #ocd #anxiety #StPD #npd #avpd #PPD (Paranoid PD), #hpd #dysgraphia #dyspraxia #dyscalculia #ptsd #DPDR #questioningPica #questioningODD #questioningOCPD
#controversiallabels #objectshows #osc #objectshowcommunity #MCR #fabulouskilljoy #greenday #americanidiot #artist #mccaffrey #anticapitalism #antifascist #antifascism #antiauthoritarian #antiauthoritariancommunism #weird #amweirdguy
i will add more tags when i can lol

A masculinity crisis

* American Crusade w/ Eleanor Janega
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chvlbx9zAHg

* Manosphere: A community centred on male grievance and empowerment.
https://theconversation.com/youd-better-start-paying-attention-to-the-manosphere-youre-living-in-it-279547

* Rugged Individualism and the Misunderstanding of American Inequality
https://confrontingpoverty.org/research/rugged-individualism-and-the-misunderstanding-of-american-inequality/
#MasculinityCrisis #manosphere #masculinity #individualism #competition #SocialDarwinism #RuggedIndividualism #ressentiment #entitlement #equality #inequality #CultureOfMisogyny #misogyny #ChristianRight #violence #war #zeitgeist

"In the 1950s, the Iowa Writers Workshop received funding from the CIA to push a writing style that centered the emotional life of the individual while decentering the social and political forces that shape human behavior.

The Workshop popularized an idea of craft as non-ideological, but that individualism is itself an ideology."

#Books #Writing #Individualism #CIA
https://lithub.com/the-craft-challenges-of-writing-political-fiction/

Communal organizing is a threat to the existing white political structures and the nonprofit industrial complex.

The more I work with movement leaders, the more I see the scars of our individualistic society and how that impacts how leaders make decisions.

There’s fear and distrust in every interaction.

What are you trying to steal from me?
How are you trying to scam me?

How can we build communally if everyone is a threat to be dealt with? 2/

#individualism #fascism #organizing #activism

When you read stuff like this, it’s good to keep in mind that all of this is a choice.

Why Being Middle-Aged Sucks So Much for Americans (and No One Else)
https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-being-middle-aged-sucks-so-much-for-americans-and-no-one-else/

#aging #americandream #unitedstates #individualism #uspolitics #usculture

"It’s not so much that there’s 50-something percent of the country that is committed to Trumpism. But there’s just a huge amount of the country that is not doing well—and I mean that in an emotional way, I mean that in a political way, civically."

#Trump #MAGA #SocialContract #individualism #CommonGood #solidarity
/2

"If we don’t take seriously some of these more underlying problems—that we are a deeply isolated and lonely and distrustful country that is focused on material wellbeing and status and is more dislocated and civically apathetic than maybe we’ve ever been—we’re going to get more Trumps, because that’s just fertile breeding ground for people like him."

~ Alan Elrod

#Trump #MAGA #SocialContract #individualism #CommonGood #solidarity
/1

https://newrepublic.com/article/208976/transcript-trump-america-deeply-unwell-it-time-say