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Indeed. Why can't people just act like rational automatons? Its almost as if they think that their emotions, feelings, perceptions of social status, cultural 'w
by polymatter 13y ago
Indeed. Why can't people just act like rational automatons? Its almost as if they think that their emotions, feelings, perceptions of social status, cultural 'way its done' behaviors etc. matter to them!
Actually, I just want to point out if you've had any training on how to run a training session, you ought to know that asking "do you understand?" is pointless in every culture. From an asian culture it can even come across as threatening and dominating. Its like asking "do you want to keep your job?". Who is going to stand up and say "actually, no I don't" to that? Work in a western company is often the very first time in peoples lives where voluntarily admitting you don't know something doesn't carry significant penalties.
- Myrmornis 13y agoI believe that's true but you're verging on going too far in the direction of cultural relativism. Regardless of culture it's still the case that intelligent people should see the value of answering "do you understand" as a straight question.
- Nursie 13y ago>> Actually, I just want to point out if you've had any training on how to run a training session, you ought to know that asking "do you understand?" is pointless in every culture. I've never phrased it as confrontationally as you're assuming, it's always been a genuine offer of help. Never has been pointless when dealing with European, American or Australian resident engineers (regardless of racial or cultural background), it's simply opening the floor to new questions. So now's who's guilty of sweeping assumptions? Regardless, the original point still stands - this is not niceness, it's cultural conditioning to be non-confrontational to the point of dishonesty, and it's highly counterproductive.