An old psychotherapy joke says that therapists are excellent at guiding others toward change, so long as the therapist does not have to change. The joke endures because it reflects a larger truth: people instinctively prefer stability to uncertainty, even when change might be beneficial. Societies often behave similarly.

In psychotherapy, the ability to tolerate discomfort is often a prerequisite for growth. Patients must be willing to question long-held assumptions about themselves, their relationships, and the stories they tell about their lives. This process can be unsettling. Yet without it, change becomes difficult.

Something similar occurs in nations.

All societies develop cultural frameworks that reinforce certain beliefs while marginalizing others. The difference between open and closed societies is not whether such frameworks exist, but whether they can be challenged without threatening the legitimacy of the system itself.

Authoritarian governments frequently regulate information in the name of social stability. Independent journalism is restricted, dissent discouraged, and alternative interpretations of events treated as threats rather than........

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