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Posts: 2488

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Q: Are Chinese really brainless or do they have an on /off switch?

I was in Hk again today, and I had a lovely day being surrounded by people with manners. Anyways, I noticed something interesting.  If I am not taking the ferry, I will usually park my car near the Futian checkpoint and walk over.  As I was coming back , I was at Hung Hom station to take the train to Futian.  Now keep in mind that here at this area , its 95% chinese people that are returning home. Anyways, I was noticing how everyone on the escalator was standing to the right so people could walk past , and when the train came, 99% waited for people to get off before boarding.   Then I crossed the border, and as soon as you go through customs there is an escalator and this one is packed. people lounging everywhere. No one gave a shit about anyone else.  Then the subway came and people went right back to pushing others over to get a seat.  These are the EXACT SAME PEOPLE mind you that I was just admiring on the hong kong side for being so polite.  So granted, its a small sample size, but what do you make of people that know how to be courteous and do it willingly in one area, yet half an hour later go back to acting like animals??   Why dont they just leave the switch on??  Chinese will be the first to say HK is a much more polite place, so why dont they try to emulate it?  It reminds me of my old job. Fancy Headquarter building with a tonne of workers, and everyone, for the most part is middle/upper class and very kind and polite. Yet most live in this super shit farmer neighborhood a few KMs away as it is in the only place with apartments small enough for singles. and after 6pm, everyday, these same thousands of "high level" chinese, revert right back into walking in front of cars and rockin the beijing bikinis.  I cant understand it. Ive heard them mock it. Yet first chance they get.....

9 years 36 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
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Posts: 916

Shifu

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It's inertia I guess, decades of pushing, rushing to be first, not wanting to lose out in their homeland kicks in the moment they are back to the land of selfish, deceit, indifference....you can't change them. Only they can but they won't. In Hong Kong these upper crust want to look prim and proper to show that mainlanders know how to behave but back at home it's everything goes....

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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I've experienced the same phenomenon for myself. When I'm in respectful places, I'm respectful to everyone. When people are being dickshits, and pursuing an "every-man-for-themselves" mentality, then I sometimes do the same thing.

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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I must have been here too long as I react the same way as Hulk. Outside China I wait my turn in queues, etc. Back in Guangzhou I'll happily jump a queue to ensure I get onto the metro, bus, etc or I'd never get anywhere as everyone else does it.

 

Though saying that I'll still hold doors open for people following me and let old ladies through first. 

Eorthisio:

I used to hold the door to people in China as we would do in any civilized place, especially ladies and even more old ladies, they were walking past me with their attitude, not a thanks, not a look.

I also used to hold the elevator when I was seeing people coming in my building, the same people who were rushing in then closing it when I was coming by the front door.

Now I gladly slam the door in their face and I don't hold the elevator for my neighbors, there are gossips about this "impolite foreigner" in my residence, I couldn't care less.

9 years 36 weeks ago
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Hotwater:

Interesting the difference in the way we see & experience things. In the garden I live in Guangzhou (mainly local Cantonese living here) I regularly hold open the gate and doors if someone is coming up close behind me & will hold the elevator doors. I'd say 90% of the time I get a "ni hao", m'gou sai" (bad spelling!) or even "hello" from people, even some of the old ones (though I've found that the younger the person gets the more likely I'll get thanked). I always respond with "bu ke qi", "bu yon" or if thanked in English "you're welcome". 

 

Don't experience it as much in busy parts of the city when people are rushing around and minding their own business but it still happens.

 

I'm finding that the locals, very slowly, are getting some sorts of manners, in particular the more educated ones. But it is very slow.......

9 years 35 weeks ago
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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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It has something to do with most Chinese being scared of standing out from the crowd. They will do anything to blend in. I guess once it was dangerous to stand out.

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Yup, and I see long-term expats with the same switch on "off" : I'm in China, I drive on the walkway, I go on the wrong lane and generally act like a dick because "It's China, nobody care anyway, why should I". Of course, the idea that things are the way they are in China *precisely* because of this mentality, nope. The hypocrisy of ranting about this but complying to it, does not even cross the mind.

coineineagh:

I don't use zebra crossings, because nobody stops. Better to climb over the fences on a straight stretch of road. You can see the cars coming more easily. Am I a dick? I feel it's just self-preservation.

9 years 36 weeks ago
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royceH:

I ride my bike on the wrong side of the road.  Easier to see what's coming.

 

9 years 36 weeks ago
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DrMonkey:

@royceH Wha... What ?!  I don't want to call you an imbecile, wish you a lot of painful ordeals and throw feces to you, so I will have an imaginary dialog instead.

Alice : Bob, you are riding on the wrong lane.

Bob : Yeah, I know. This way, I see what's coming to me.
Alice : Why you need to see what's coming to you ? If you ride on the correct lane, you do not *need* to see what's coming, because everybody goes on the same direction.
Bob : But sometimes people are riding counter-way ?
Alice : But if they are counter-way you will see them anyway !!! Those you don't see are going the right way and are no serious danger.
Bob : Also, I want to see the people coming from behind.
Alice : Look, if everybody think like you, the steady state is 50% people on the right lane, 50% on the wrong lane, destroying the whole purpose of having 2 lane in the first place.
Bob : I want to see what happens around me. I understand, but many people don't, so I need to do that.
Alice : Errrr, it's circular logic, your behavior, repeated by many others, triggers consequences that justify that behavior. How about a mirror mounted on your bike to see what happens behind you ?
Bob : Whatever. I keep driving on the wrong lane.

Nice case of iterated prisoner dilemma, by the way.

9 years 36 weeks ago
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royceH:

Dr.  Seems to me you're trying to make a case based on logic.  But man, I live in China, and even after 4 years I can hardly believe it.

I don't always ride on the wrong side of the road, just when it's more convenient.

Was nearly killed last night as I rode home from the restaurant with my wife sitting on the bike rack.  We had to swerve violently as a car pulled out in front of us as we were going downhill.  At that same moment another car was cutting across the road from the other side and so we had to do another swerve to avoid him.  Wife didn't fall off and we live to tell the tale.  But it was a close shave.  We were on the correct side of the road. I am an imbecile.

 

 

9 years 36 weeks ago
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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Mimicry is the popular learning method, here. Most people advance beyond this learning method during childhood development, but Chinese are encouraged not to. The people here will appear to be assimilated into any culture they have enough contact with, but in reality they are just "doing as the Romans do". They could be hard-working and well behaved if the society values these things, they'll be selfish children if that's what is expected of them, or they can be murderous wartime pillagers without a second thought. A perfect flock of sheep to be controlled - no need for rulers to battle morality when there is none.

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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I think they know to be on their best behavior in HK cause the HKers make no secret of how trashy they consider the PRC folk.

 

I also notice on the metro that sometimes you'll get people lining up neatly at each side of the door, but then if ONE trashy asshole cuts the line to stand in the middle the system breaks down and they all start crowding the doors. A lot of people might know better but they still got a little bit of that 'starving peasant syndrome' left in them. Like they aren't going to be the chumps not eating cause someone else cut them in line.

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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They really are brainless.  Mind bogglingly so.

No mistake.

 

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I agree with royce. Example, how many times has this happened to you?You are on the bus approaching your stop. Some idiot is standing blocking the door well. The bus is not very crowded. You motion towards the exit bumping the idiot,  so they clearly know you are exiting. You give them room to move away from the exit. Bus reaches your stop, and they move further in to the door well and press themselves against the rail (as if that makes disappear).  So now you have to  elbow the dummy in the back as you squeeze your way out.

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Sometimes I wonder if English itself as a big language has its drawbacks; the question itself smacks of disrespect, leading the whole conversation not any higher than that disrespect level.

 

Also I suspect the purposes some foreigners (mainly westerners) that made them come to China. What kind of respect you enjoy in your motherland and why you cannot apply them anywhere you go like China? What real difference have you made except that you look differently?

royceH:

In normal day to day existence, common sense is required.  Most situations that present require some response and that response is more than likely going to be determined by good old common sense.  When common sense, and the application of it, are foreign concepts, you get life in China.  And it's so unproductive.  And many other describing words besides.  You can see that, can't you?

 

 

9 years 36 weeks ago
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Englteachted:

WTF? What you are saying makes no sense. 

9 years 36 weeks ago
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DrMonkey:

1st October 1949 is the RPC national day...  Why the lack of respect ? I think it's quite clear, in the eyes of many regulars here, we see appalling behavior on a daily basis, by a  majority of the locals. It's not appalling behavior by our own standard, it's appalling by Chinese standard. Hard to get any respect when you don't even respect yourself... You might love a China, like someone loves his or her own mother. But mother have serious problems, to the point of bring harmful to anyone in her vicinity and to herself.

 

When coming to China, I had little idea of all that. When I came to realize it, impossible to talk about it or act without putting myself into trouble. Why staying then ? Because I also developed some very important links, like a wife. Lots of people have a kid born here, you know ! And you don't move so easily with your family,if you have some sense of responsibility, you plan ahead. Meanwhile, we talk here because there's no other places.

 

Welcome here, varied point of views are very welcome. But if you came on a crusade to show us the light... You will need more than a "you are a bunch of losers" discourse to be convincing.

9 years 36 weeks ago
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Robk:

I get respect where ever I go... but in China it takes a bunch of shouting and demeaning usually to gain it. 

 

In China, you have to act like an aggressive wild animal to get respected. 

 

It shouldn't be like that, this is 2014. China needs to smarten the hell up. Culture is one thing... lack of it is another... 

9 years 36 weeks ago
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Eorthisio:

I introduced countless Chinese ladies to something bigger than a small finger, now that's a difference wink

9 years 36 weeks ago
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October1st:

thanks for all your comments, especially for DrMonkey's. I feel that all of you can read what I was aggressive about and that I could not find exactaly in real life.

Recent years I was joining and even organizing some activities in around my living community , e.g. fighting for living right or something on that; doing so is always a kind of studying as I have read too many negative remarks about chinese and I wanted to find out more what we are.. I want to see how my country pals respond in such group events. Then, I saw who i am and where i stand...we are a big country  with many people...it's like running a big family, just imagine that.  by this moment i still couldn't bear that how my country pals have been enduring all the sufferings and do not stand out for fighting for their rights... i really feel endangered.

all i can do is push ahead as i could. Luckily,  i am stronger now, and this, as somebody commented, is because you are making a difference .  

9 years 35 weeks ago
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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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I have to agree with Lord Hanson... strongly. 

 

I actually used my wife as a sort of experiment. I would watch her manners and level of awareness in certain situations and it seemed like when we lived in larger cities..

 

She was a lot more aware and thoughtful because she had to be. When she was around foreigners, she would be a lot more polite and witty... when she was at home in the village she would be a lot more gossipy and act like being stupid was cute and silly. 

 

Chinese mostly HATE standing out from the crowd and try their best to adapt in their areas. Their area or origin is closer to who they really are... the home is where the heart is... and when they are in other areas they have to switch on their brain to avoid losing face and standing out (this depends though, some are perma-idiots). They don't like it at all because Chinese have been taught to NOT use their brain... but they are fully capable. 

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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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I always thought there were mind control devices planted every where in China and that explained the people . The devices don't work on me because of my tin foil hat. Chinese aren't aware of this technology as I've never seen anyone wearing one.

royceH:

Hahahaha..... Welcome back Ted!

My lack of Chinese equates to having a tin ear, and that saves me the grief of having to listen to their (reportedly) inane and racist conversation.

 

9 years 35 weeks ago
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9 years 36 weeks ago
 
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Not so much an on/off switch as a start/stop switch.

 

The location of this said switch varies of course according to the individual.

 

Wow, I know some women who are wifi enabled and can be controlled wirelessly from an IPad wink.

TedDBayer:

I didn't know that the Japanese sex dolls were that advanced. laugh

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9 years 35 weeks ago
 
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.*sarcasm alert* your question smacks of disrespect to anyone with a brain. There is no question.
If I walked around with my friends laughing at everyone who was not black " look he is not black... hehe" you wouldn't question whether or not there was an on off switch. If I stared and said "hey look a foreigner"every damn time I saw a foreigner even if it was the same damn foreigner everyday for 2 years, you wouldn't question whether or not there was an on off switch. How dare you

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