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Q: Filial piety - does it really exist outside the family?
So I've noticed from my time on public transport that despite nonstop announcements between stations (in Chinese, they don't translate them into English) about caring about children and loving the old, that you rarely see people giving up their seats for those in need.
I have of course seen it, but not too often enough to justify China's whole proudness regarding their filial piety and Confucian ethics. This is also in stark contrast to what I've seen regarding friends and families, who go completely out of their way to look after those in need (admirably so in my view) though this doesn't extend to outside the family.
Does this all add up to the conclusion that there is no caring towards strangers on the street/people outside your circle in China?
I will politely differ in regards to giving the seat to an elderly person. Here in Nanning, I do ride the bus very often, and I have been given a seat many times by both, boys and girls. I have also seen the same happening when an elderly person climbs on the bus and no seats are empty, or when a younger mother walks in with a baby on her arms. Now, besides this, I have not see any sign of caring for the bad fortune of others.
There isn't much of a Christian 'world view' underpinning Chinese culture so this idea you would give up something for a stranger is entirely illogical and you can even take it further to suggest 'morally wrong' since you are losing something of your families for no reason and letting a stranger 'win something' for doing nothing. Obviously that is illogical.
But Western cultures were built on those presumptions about the world.
Having said all that - I just find almost all people in all big cities around the world are detached and have little or no interest in anyone else but their circle. I'm surely guilty of this all the time myself.
