History shows us something pretty stark: societies that thrive are the ones willing to cross-pollinate ideas and keep their doors open to innovation. Athens, Baghdad—they didn't peak by locking down orthodoxy. They exploded with creativity and influence precisely because they were hubs where different thinking could mix and evolve. The moment a civilization stops borrowing, stops blending, stops questioning? That's when the decline starts. It's the same logic we see playing out today in digital ecosystems. The ones winning? They're built on radical openness—where ideas can flow freely, where thought diversity isn't a bug, it's the whole point. The ones fading? Usually the ones that calcified around old ways. Johan Norberg's work traces this beautifully through history: openness to trade and intellectual exchange as the engine of human flourishing. Worth thinking about as we build the next chapter of digital civilization.