In China We (Don't) Trust

The Chinese are good at copying, but they could never invent a Hula-Hoop. So how is it that a people who invented papermaking, gunpowder, movable-type printing and the magnetic compass suddenly only became capable of assembling iPods? What¡¯s missing in China today is not a culture of innovation but something more basic: trust. When there is trust in society, sustainable innovation happens because people feel safe and enabled to take risks and make the long-term commitments needed to innovate and are willing to share their ideas without fear of having their creations stolen.

在中国，我们（不）信任

中国人擅长山寨却连个呼啦圈也发明不了，那么一个发明了造纸术、活字印刷术、烟火和罗盘的民族如何突然就只会组装iPod了呢？今日中国缺乏的不是创新的文化，而是更基本的东西：诚信。当一个社会有了诚信，就会有持续的创新。因为人们有安全感，敢于承担风险，给予创新所需的长期承诺，愿意分享各自的创意，不必担心自己的创造被窃取。