Скачать или смотреть Life Before Politics: What the West Can Learn from Southeast Asia

Why does *politics* in Southeast Asia feel so different from the West?
In the West, polarization has turned politics into identity, outrage, and endless conflict. But in Southeast Asia, many people simply choose not to fight about politics—not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to. Family, community, and daily life take priority.

In this episode of From Far Away, I share what I’ve observed living in the region for six years. From Singapore’s kampung spirit to Malaysia’s gotong royong and Vietnam’s culture of harmony, there’s a rhythm here that says: politics is important, but not worth losing sleep over.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Southeast Asians choose sleep over online political fights
00:38 The misread: Cultural preference for harmony, not just censorship
01:19 Survey data shows support for both social harmony and democratic ideas
01:57 Kampong spirit: Community cooperation as everyday cultural norm
03:13 The harmony dividend framework: Three forces reducing political combat
04:40 Self-censoring is often pragmatic choice, not just coercion
05:31 Three portable ideas the West can learn from Southeast Asia
06:33 Mid-video audience engagement and request for viewer stories
06:49 Regional variations: Different political cultures across Southeast Asia
07:20 Conclusion: Politics as management vs identity and performance
If you’ve ever wondered what the West might learn from Southeast Asia, this is your window.