50 Genius Things Other Countries Have That Make The US Feel Like It's Living In Another Century

Before anyone has the bright idea: universal healthcare, haha. Get it out of your system, dear internet.

With that said, check out all this cool stuff the world has! No, don’t look at it as if someone else has it better than you. Rather, consider it an idea that you can yoink and introduce in your own immediate surroundings because everyone deserves good things.

If you’re reading this, it’s very likely you already know the answer to why there are borders between countries, why each country is different, and similar questions that deal with why someone has something and someone else does not.

But let’s humor the idea of there being singularity—like, what if there’d be just one country on Earth?

It’s romantic to think that, in some senses, our planet can be seen as a single country—a single place where we as a species live. And that’s what we share.

Apollo 9 space mission member Rusty Schweikhart explained that when he first looked at Earth from space, he felt a profound shift in perspective. Looking at it, he knew there were numerous borders on it, yet you couldn’t even see them.

Despite Rusty’s idea, despite our species essentially coming from a single place and sharing the same ancestry, we somehow got to a point where there are around 200 countries, each living its own life, relatively speaking. Why? How? What happened for these borders and walls to pop up and separate us?

One theory, validated by a number of studies, suggests that whenever people are made to feel insecure and anxious, the natural response is to cling to their identity and defend themselves against insecurities.

While criticized, the theory still explains why, in times of crisis and uncertainty, nationalism grows, and walls tend to be built.

So, to avoid that, the psychologist behind these insights, Steve Taylor, explained that the other end of the spectrum is where folks who are well-off reside—folks who incidentally often don’t have a sense of group identity.

Instead, they have transcended beyond that concept and found a calmer life where folks aren’t pigeonholed into nationalities, borders, identities, and the like.

Taylor noticed that folks who went through extreme psychological trauma—a life-threatening diagnosis or a loss in the family—often entered this next step in human development. They wouldn’t feel like they belonged to some nationality, religion, race, whatever. Having lived something that intense has led them to lose their group identity because they no longer felt separate, fragile, or insecure. And so there was no need for some sort of quick fix in the form of nationalism.

So, once humanity stops individualizing itself through identities, only then will there essentially be one country. And once borders are out the window, then there’d be an increased chance of everyone having and enjoying the same nice things.

But do you notice how I say an increased chance? There’s always a catch.

While an amazing concept, losing group identity won’t solve all of the world’s problems. It would solve plenty, but not all.

Remember that what works in one part of the world might not work in another. And, by proxy, there’d still remain that "oh, we have something you don’t" mentality just because of a simple lack of necessity. There’s more, but you get the point, right?

Besides, there are easy solutions to these problems—either bring whatever it is that you want in and make it a thing, or go to this other country, experience it, and move on. No need to flex who has what.

But a person can still dream of a world where there’s a single country where everyone could possibly be able to experience Kinder Surprises. In any case, thank you for listening to my ramblings.

So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Share everything that you want to share (within reason, though, kids are watching) in the comment section below!