From the Readers

Find the middle road between East and West

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-11-22 13:42
Large Medium Small

Comment on "More Marco Polos needed to know China" (Nov 20, China Daily)

I think the gulf between a Western worldview and an Eastern one is immense. I think people forget about this and fill the gap with stereotypes. But the fact is that understanding the Chinese way for a Westerner and vice versa is not easy. It takes an open mind, suspension of judgment, time, and honest, reflective thought. Since our identities occupy us to our very core, this is not an easy task. Especially since so much on the surface seems dead wrong at first glance, from both sides.

How many individuals are even fully aware that their worldview contains deep preconceptions according to their culture and upbringing? How fair is it even to ask people this, when, again, inspecting these preconceptions strikes to the very heart of people's identities?

Having said that, it is a solid fact that the two ways of thinking are meeting now as never before. It doesn't help that the meeting is fraught with all kinds of economic and nationalistic sentiment. Nevertheless, people who want to view the world in a realistic way must seek to combine the two ways in their minds, regardless of the difficulties involved.

As other posters indicate, both civilizations have and always have had a lot to learn from one another. I feel happy to be in China for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the Chinese attitude regarding living, which is more communal than the individualistic West, especially the US. Selfish materialism can only take one so far, as can commercialization of all aspects of life.

On the other hand, I'm not happy with having my access to information curtailed. I can understand it to some degree, but still, it just doesn't seem right to my Western sensibilities. But I do understand the Chinese perception that they need to contain the Western influence, given the history with the West, which certainly hasn't been positive in many regards. As far as keeping information from their own citizens, this is an aspect of power the US and others use as well.

I remember when I first started teaching here. One way to generate conversation (and encourage critical thinking) is to ask, "Why?" when a student gives a response. The students cooperated for a time, and then one day they asked me why I did that. They never thought about "why" and it was difficult for them to make responses. No one had ever asked them why about anything. In the US, students are the ones asking why, as in, why do I have to learn this? And why can't I go to the bathroom right now?

Seriously, though, there are huge and fascinating differences, and they are deep and fundamental. Exploring these with an open mind is one of the things that makes life interesting and worth living, to me at any rate. Criticism, like anything, needs to not go to extremes -- either overly critical (West) or uncritical (East). There's a middle road that leads to understanding and perception of reality, and I do believe those were the words of an Eastern holy man.

leon, on China Daily website

主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品国产自在现线久久| 国产白丝在线观看| 国产一级免费片| 一级大片免费看| 老师你的兔子好软水好多作文高清| 强开小婷嫩苞又嫩又紧韩国视频 | 日本天码aⅴ片在线电影网站| 午夜精品久久久久久| 92国产精品午夜福利免费| 日韩超碰人人爽人人做人人添| 品色堂永久免费| 91久久国产精品| 日韩亚洲欧美综合| 全彩本子acg里番本子| 538在线精品| 日本一卡2卡3卡4卡无卡免费| 伊人久久久久久久久久| 人与禽交免费网站视频| 成人国产精品2021| 亚洲国产综合专区在线电影| 色综合久久综合欧美综合图片| 在线看一区二区| 久爱免费观看在线网站| 精品日本一区二区三区在线观看| 国产美女久久精品香蕉69| 久久亚洲国产精品五月天婷| 男女啪啪漫画无遮挡全彩| 国产激情电影综合在线看| av2021天堂网手机版| 日韩在线第三页| 亚洲成在人线在线播放无码| 色综合天天综合网站中国| 国产精品亚洲αv天堂2021 | 羞羞漫画喷水漫画yy视 | 老司机带带我在线精彩免费| 国产成人无码午夜视频在线观看| 一本大道香一蕉久在线影院| 黄色aaa毛片| 成全动漫视频在线观看免费播放| 亚洲第一二三四区| 视频在线观看国产|