Comparing Collectivist & Individualist Cultures: Like Apples & Oranges

The difference between collectivist and individualist cultures is not a surface value, such as “some people eat more rice than we do.” Individualism and collectivism describe two very different ways people relate, interact, and live together, but much more too, such as how they view themselves, the way they think, the emotions they feel, the way they make decisions and why, and what motivates them to behave the way they do.

Let’s picture these two cultural worldviews like apple trees and orange trees; they are really quite different. They are not technically polar opposites. They are…