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I think you're overgeneralizing. There are several cultures "in the west" that do very much want to follow rules. Both Germany and Japan come immediately to min

I think you're overgeneralizing. There are several cultures "in the west" that do very much want to follow rules. Both Germany and Japan come immediately to mind. Neither is a strict rule following culture, but both place a fairly high value on rules that regulate the commons.

SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago
> Germany ... Neither is a strict rule following culture If you put your recycling in the incorrect bin, in Germany, your neighbors might correct the notion that the rule following is not strict.
- watwut 6y ago
  Then again, age restrictions in amusement parks are completely ignored. Also, there are fines (or you pay more) for recycling wrong, it is not about neighbors only.
jariel 6y ago
The 'Basic Law' does not refer to the responsibility of Germans towards their community at all. The first several articles, much like other modern constitutions, refer only to German's right to self expression. German Constitution makes the point more obvious: written just after WW2, obviously, vern concerned with making sure people have 'their rights' = this is fundamentally a liberal concept, and my point about 'historical issues with authoritarianism'. Almost all of our liberal documents are like this. But they are not communitarian documents, and our legal system and governments do not generally codify the 'social fabric' that makes our civilizations work well. Many NGO's exist to promote those legal concepts, particularly freedoms, but very few (except maybe the Church, and possibly indirectly some kind of social justice ones) to promote specifically the kinds of values and behaviours we need to work well a society. Germany and Japan it seems, have those things very strongly enmeshed into cultural foundations, thankfully, but in 2020 with globalization and the erosion of all culture etc. it might be worth having a look at.

SideburnsOfDoom 6y ago

> Germany ... Neither is a strict rule following culture If you put your recycling in the incorrect bin, in Germany, your neighbors might correct the notion that the rule following is not strict.

watwut 6y ago
Then again, age restrictions in amusement parks are completely ignored. Also, there are fines (or you pay more) for recycling wrong, it is not about neighbors only.

jariel 6y ago

The 'Basic Law' does not refer to the responsibility of Germans towards their community at all. The first several articles, much like other modern constitutions, refer only to German's right to self expression. German Constitution makes the point more obvious: written just after WW2, obviously, vern concerned with making sure people have 'their rights' = this is fundamentally a liberal concept, and my point about 'historical issues with authoritarianism'. Almost all of our liberal documents are like this. But they are not communitarian documents, and our legal system and governments do not generally codify the 'social fabric' that makes our civilizations work well. Many NGO's exist to promote those legal concepts, particularly freedoms, but very few (except maybe the Church, and possibly indirectly some kind of social justice ones) to promote specifically the kinds of values and behaviours we need to work well a society. Germany and Japan it seems, have those things very strongly enmeshed into cultural foundations, thankfully, but in 2020 with globalization and the erosion of all culture etc. it might be worth having a look at.