" Christianity eventually arose out of the fall of the ancient world. It thrived for centuries, forming and hardening around a social and economic landscape that was radically new. The Christian model of the ideal self was to last for so long because it suited the hostile realities of who we had to be, not least in the medieval era, if we wanted to get along and get ahead. It remains, today, the dominant religion of our people, and its moods and shapes live on even in those who have no faith in its stories. "

― Will Storr , Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It's Doing to Us