Thanks for your feedback Martin. It is long because I have had this argument with people so many times and seen how people will keep on misunderstanding this perspective unless you lay it out in detail.

Personality is a product of your environment and genetics. I don't see it as anything special than any other trait and hence follows the same laws I laid out in the article. Genes defining personality is not likely to have a very different distribution within different countries. Hence in so far as people have different personalities in different countries it must be the product of the environment in those countries: That includes their history and material conditions.

Why is Norway mentioned at all? I am Norwegian and I write from a Nordic perspective. Many of my articles involves Nordic history, economics and culture. This is the angle I try to bring to the table. The internet is awash with writing from an Anglosphere perspective, typically an American perspective. Seeing the world from another angle wouldn't hurt 😉

The whole protestant work ethic think is kind of worn out and not really a good reflection of Scandinavian society. What Max Weber talks about is much more relevant to the Netherlands, the US and so on affected to Calvinist protestantism which emphasize work ethic and individualism so prized in America.

The Nordics is not Calvinist but Lutheran which has a much stronger emphasis on community and cooperation which shows itself in part in the social democratic traditions.

And I would advice people to read something else besides yet another book by a guy from the Anglo sphere or some former great power. Read Terje Tvedt instead for instance.