[chme]

> There is also a massive union culture, which provides Germans with a great quality of life, but again, that's something probably negatively correlated to innovation.

Hmm... So if people struggle in life and have live from hand to mouth in multiple jobs to support their family and loved ones, they are more innovative?

[xenospn]

A quick trip to sub-Saharan Africa will prove this is both true and untrue.

[FirmwareBurner]

It engrains the idea into people early on, that they should work to upskill themselves or build their own jobs, instead of coasting on the idea the government will always be there for them to provide jobs and security.

Also, plenty of people in Germany live hand to mouth now. Poverty has been on the increase due to CoL.

[fhd2]

So, your hypothesis is that greed fuels innovation? Those innovating are rarely the ones benefiting financially. I think it rather fuels hustling. The end game of hustling are monopolies, which have little to no interest in innovation.

From what examples I can think of right now, innovation actually appears to require a certain level of coziness. I'd say great ideas come from curiosity, and if you're struggling to eat, that's usually limited. The trick is, perhaps, to be cozy, but not so cozy that lifting a finger seems pointless.