Inclusion vs exclusion

One thing that I feel like I see in history is that societies that tend to include outgroups tend to be the winners in conflicts.  If this is actually so, I can think of a couple of reasons why it could be so.

 

One is common cause.   Societies that are richer tend to be more inclusive.  I put this down to human nature -- when life is going well for people, they tend to be more likely to be nice to people.   Societies that are richer also tend to win conflicts.

 

Another possible cause is that societies that are more creative tend to win conflicts.   When there are more different cultures and world views being brought to a problem, the odds of finding a creative and better solution go way up.

 

The first reason isn't in & of itself a reason to welcome strangers, but the second reason is.   Even without conflict, a society that is more creative is more likely to do well.