Episode 6: The Salad of Chaos: Why We Fear (or Love) The Unknown

What happens when one of you loves a good plan and the other just shows up when it feels right?

We all live with the unknown, but how we handle it depends a lot on where (and how) we grew up. Drawing on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Andrea and Houshen unpack two big ones—uncertainty avoidance and individualism vs. collectivism—and explore how these ideas shape our habits, workplaces, and everyday relationships.

From Canada’s “let’s make a plan” culture to China’s “we’ll figure it out” approach, they discover that our comfort (or discomfort) with ambiguity shows up in surprising ways: in leadership styles, innovation, conflict, even how we shop online.

Along the way, expect plenty of laughter, relatable moments, and the occasional salad pun. Because uncertainty might feel uncomfortable—but it’s also where growth, creativity, and connection begin.

🎧 A perfect listen for anyone working across cultures, managing global teams, or just curious about how culture shapes our daily choices.

Episode Sources
Understanding Cultures: Hofstede's Framework - Simo
Geert Hofstede on the Dimensions of Cultural Difference - Ed Batista
Societal individualism–collectivism and uncertainty avoidance as cultural moderators of relationships between job resources and strain - National Library of Medicine
Individual Level Culture Effects on Multi-Perspective iTrust in B2C E-commerce - Cornell University

Quiz Sources
Cultural Comparison Tool - The Culture Factor Group
What's the average debt in Canada and how do you compare? - Sun Life