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That's the point. In a situation like a pandemic the rational choice is to act collectively, even if that means some inconvenience for individuals. Ideally it
by TheOtherHobbes 1y ago
That's the point. In a situation like a pandemic the rational choice is to act collectively, even if that means some inconvenience for individuals.
Ideally it means a population which is educated, rational, and mature enough to rise to the challenge with minimal prompting and direction. But if that fails, stronger persuasion becomes necessary - which may mean sanctions and enforcement.
US (and UK) individualism struggles with this, which creates a weaker, less resilient, and more dangerous low-trust high-paranoia society for everyone.
The Chinese are more used to 吃苦, which is an alien concept in the US.
You can take that too far - and arguably China has - where there's a complete lack of concern for individuals.
The ideal is a balance, and I'm not sure either culture has it.
- dnzj 1y agoThe more a person can sense others’ situations and emotions, the easier it is for them to blend into a group, embrace its values, and even help shape shared ones. In China, people grow up with Confucius’ teaching: “Don’t impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”
- arrogancepchzxp 1y agoI have read a book called "Chinese Characteristics" written by Arthur Henderson Smith, an American missionary, who also mentioned a similar idea: "How delightful it would be if people could combine the essence of both East and West, and walk peacefully on the narrow, thorny path of the golden mean." Based on my own experience, Chinese society contains traditional thoughts from the feudal era, collective thoughts from the socialist period, and utilitarian thoughts brought by capitalist development, but it uniquely lacks individualism.
- hi1982 1y ago[dead]
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- hi1982 1y ago[dead]