Western Individualism May Have Roots In The Medieval Church's Obsession With Incest

Most people living in Western, developed countries are psychologically distinct from the rest of the world.
For one, they tend to be more individualistic and think of themselves as being independent of other people.
"There is a stronger sense of autonomy and agency," says Ara Norenzayan, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia, who, in 2010, along with some colleagues published a study describing these psychological attributes of people in so-called Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic (WEIRD) countries.
On the other hand, people in other parts of the world tend to be more "collectivistic," says Norenzayan, because their lives are embedded in extended family networks and obligations. They "are more embedded in relationships," he says. "People see themselves as being part of this larger context."
So how did people in the West come to be so different?
A new study published Thursday in Science suggests it all began in the Middle Ages, when the Catholic Church pushed a way of life that broke up extended family networks and paved the way for nuclear families, weaker family ties and a more individualistic mindset.