One possible reason

One possible reason I can think of is that we are afraid of missing opportunities. Be the first to get on the bus, be the first to pay at the cashier - seemingly without any sane motives; a quality inherited (and amplified?) throughout generations. This attitude -of being the first at any cost- can result in real success in the fields of science and sports where the objectives are clearly defined. We may just have to arrive at a nationwide agreement on what path to follow as a sovereign nation/member of the EU/tiny but conscious player in the global economy to become more successful and make use of our latent potential.