Explanation:
Cultures that closely resemble yours are superior to those that differ widely from yours.
The very worst culture belongs to people whom you perceive to be enemies. The greater the threat they pose, the more depraved their culture must be. However, if the conflict is resolved and new enemies are identified, the new enemies’ culture instantly sinks in the rankings to become the very worst.
Somewhere in between are those cultures that you perceive to have borrowed from your culture’s treasure house. They’ll never be as good as you, but they deserve credit for recognizing your culture’s superiority and seeking to gain by it. The more enthusiastically a culture acknowledges its debt to yours, the more you appreciate them. But if they refuse to acknowledge how much your culture has contributed to theirs, then that proves that they are obtuse and ungrateful. Such people will never get far, unless it is by cheating.
