Two types of choices seem to me to have been crucial in tipp... - Jared Diamond, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
"Two types of choices seem to me to have been crucial in tipping the outcomes [of the various societies' histories] towards success or failure: long-term planning and willingness to reconsider core values. On reflection we can also recognize the crucial role of these same two choices for the outcomes of our individual lives."