# How come Europeans dominated the rest of the world and not vice versa?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-europeans-dominated-the-rest-of-the-world-and-not-vice-versa/194068>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [August 9, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-europeans-dominated-the-rest-of-the-world-and-not-vice-versa/194068 "2003-08-09T19:16:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Deptford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Deptford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deptford)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-europeans-dominated-the-rest-of-the-world-and-not-vice-versa/194068/22 "2003-08-22T15:01:56Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I think Jared Diamond introduce some very interesting theories, and I will get around to reading his book (any day now). It’s just that, for a man that claims to have answers to Europe’s historical supremacy without resorting to racial explanations, to start out with a description of how to him Madagascan children seem so much more intelligent that European. Well that’s something of a put off for me.
> 
> Rune

Where does he say that ?

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**Author:** ![Jessica\_Lovejoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@Jessica\_Lovejoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessica_Lovejoy)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-europeans-dominated-the-rest-of-the-world-and-not-vice-versa/194068/23 "2003-08-22T18:10:31Z")

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This whole issue seems a tad silly and short sighted to me. The idea that Europeans “conqured the world” (that’s not a quote from above, but from the mouths of many people I’ve met) only holds when you’re discussing the history of the past few centuries. And, looking back over the whole history of human existence, a few centuries is diddly.  
I won’t repeat the (far more cogent) arguments above. Just as an example, though,the Byzantine Empire lasted 1,100 years, making the UK’s imperial moment in the sun look mighty short.  
And, anyway- without sounding too much like a hippy-dippy woowoo queen- who decided that conquering land is such a great thing for a civilization? Isn’t it more important to discuss the lifestyle and “happiness” (if such a thing could be quantified, which is another discussion altogether) of its citizens? I’m reminded of that Atlantic Monthly article comparing American and European societies pre-1492-- the thesis was that, considering diet, shelter, culture, health, etc, Native Americans were probably far healthier and happier than their counterparts across the sea.  
Just a thought. Feel free to rip me a new one. It’d be an honor.

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**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-europeans-dominated-the-rest-of-the-world-and-not-vice-versa/194068/24 "2003-08-22T20:49:31Z")

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I assume someone soon will mention Paul Kennedy’s book  
[“The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers”](http://www.fetchbook.info/search_Rise_Fall_of_the_Great_Powers_by_Kennedy/editions_allEditions.html)

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