The paradox is that a part of this evolution may be attributable to two positive factors: the slow work of democracy, which liberates individuals but at the same time leaves them more isolated; and the development of a welfare system that shares risks and makes individuals more autonomous. With this isolation and autonomy, people increasingly tend to believe, for better or for worse, that they alone are responsible for their own fate.
矛盾的是，这种情况的形成可以被归咎于两个积极的因素：民主的循序渐进使个人获得自由但同时也使人陷入孤立；福利体系的发展分担风险，并使得个人更加自主。有了这种孤立和自主，人们更加愿意相信，不论是福是祸，他们自己对自身的命运负责。