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Posts: 96

Governor

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Q: Why do people here only care about themselves?

1. Driving : going through red lights, not letting pedestrians cross the road, pushing other cars off the road....

2. People: can't wait in a queue for one second, pushing to get on a bus, smoking in front of kids, pregnant women. List goes on and on and on.

To sum up, why are people here such aholes?

6 years 46 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
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Governor

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I believe their seemingly (realistically and characteristically) inconsiderate behavior stems, in some part, from survival traits left over from the social unrest in China of 1966-76. You had to be self centered, realistic and pragmatic to survive those conditions in that time period. Unfortunately, they've continued way past the necessity for such behavior leaving us with the "I'm the only person in the universe" attitude and its consequences, so prevalent here. It's also consistent with my experiences in several other 'communist' countries. 

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Its a developing country.

 

Give them more time, they've come a long way here.

RandomGuy:

BS, I see so-called educated people in tier-1 behaving like starving third world peasants, then they have the balls to claim that Chinese are the smartest and most civilized, horsedung.

6 years 46 weeks ago
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I guess, because of the sheer number of Chinese. One must take care of him/herself .... before the others get the same idea! 

 

In my classrooms we have material printed every 4-5 weeks and I am distributing it to the students. 

 

I give one pile of papers to each row and the last student just show me the pile of extra papers as 'This is extra! Come and ..... LOLOLO.

 

First time I hit them with ''rude' & 'polite'' lesson ... However, Chinese headteacher often changes seats of the students in a classroom ... so every month different student is showing me the extras from the back of the Classroom.

 

Second time I am shown 'extras', I draw a pic of the man doing push-ups on the BB. I am not an artist, so pic is only 'head', bent line like 'body' and 'legs' and two lines for arms .... then it comes big 'ass' ....

me: Do you know what is this? ... pointing at 'ass'

Students: 'meiyou!'

me: 'pi-guu' what stands for ass in Chinese.

I told them, person who does many push-ups has his/her butt out-grown ....

The problem is nobody can decipher my drawings, but once 'ass' is on, they all know .... we'll off to do 'P.E. in English'

When I told Chinese English teacher about 'come&get extras', he advised me: "Why don't you count papers yourself and give them exact number ....?"

That's 10' work for me to count ....70 pieces, so I replied: 'I can count only money!' LOL

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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Because this is China.
Ohh and to really scare you they do most of the same shit when they immigrate to western countries

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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good question,,, no simple answer,,, a combination of factors over a few thousand years. However, I suspect it is easily agreed upon that it is something to do with massive overpopulation and a lengthy history of abject poverty.  My teenage students, granted from privileged backgrounds, tell me that their fellow citizens are of 'low character'. I mention this so that you can be assured that it is not just some personal interpretation of yours, but that chinese people feel the same way about chinese people. I have asked my smartest student several times why china doesn't change, her response is that no one can change anything here. That it does them no good to point out anti-societal behavior. She truly believes that.

To further deepen one's understanding of the evolution of this social mess it might help if you remember that their #1 cultural icon made his way by commanding the citizenry to fk over the citizenry. He continually played one faction against the other against the other, and instructed for extremism to rule the day and no quarter be given. The use of extremism was the measuring stick by which to gauge one's loyalty and commitment to the cause.

Look around,,, you can see the results.

6 years 46 weeks ago
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earthizen:

'Look around.......you see the results'

 

SPOT ON

 

6 years 46 weeks ago
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earthizen:

This comment is good, from the quora link I posted a couple comments down. I believe he also is a Singaporean of ethnic chinese origin.

 

'Andy Lee Chaisiri, Creative Director Updated Feb 24, 2014

 

Because the Cultural Revolution destroyed China's upper class culture

 

During the 60's, while westerners were getting in touch with their spirituality and putting flowers in their hair, Chinese were smashing down ancient temples and beating their teachers in the streets. It was the era of the Cultural Revolution, which purposefully set out to destroy Chinese culture and it largely succeeded. (earthizen: yup, like 99.99%)

 

If you want to see traditional Chinese culture (rich or poor), go to Taiwan. If you want to see a culture influenced by ancient, pre-Mongolian invasion Chinese culture act, go to Japan or Korea. If you want to see how survivors of a land wracked by war and cultural suicide act, go to mainland China*.

6 years 46 weeks ago
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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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I believe their seemingly (realistically and characteristically) inconsiderate behavior stems, in some part, from survival traits left over from the social unrest in China of 1966-76. You had to be self centered, realistic and pragmatic to survive those conditions in that time period. Unfortunately, they've continued way past the necessity for such behavior leaving us with the "I'm the only person in the universe" attitude and its consequences, so prevalent here. It's also consistent with my experiences in several other 'communist' countries. 

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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Goes back to the time of Marxism. Everybody got a set amount of everything. But Marxism being what it is, most people only got a little bit or nothing at all. So most people had to get as much as they could before everyone else or else they got nothing at all.

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I've wondered this before. I think everyone who has posted on this thread has a decent point.

 

I think empathy for any other living thing, or the lack of it plays a big part somehow. I dunno  if it's a factor behind the me me attitude or a result of it.

 

I wonder if anyone has actually ever studied and written about it. I would love to have an anthropologist or someone who knows what they're talking about explain how the (mainland) Chinese culture evolved to where it is now.

 

 

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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I don't see it as a result of the past, take the last two days for me. First, yesterday I was walking towards the front gate of my school. There's a big piece of marble in the center and cars have to curve around it. the lane is about 3 car lengths wide. I was walking in the opposite direction towards the gate just off the side walk (3-5 inches from it) when a car that just entered the campus was taking the curve. Driving slowly he purposefully takes the curve at an extremely wide angle almost hitting me, I stared him down and he turned the car extremely back in order to go straight back up the path. Today I'm walking to the bus stop and had to cross the bike lane. Some asshole on an ebike swerves to try and cut me off as opposed to just heading straight which would have taken him behind me. Coming back on campus tonight, I'm walking behind two students on bikes slowly taking the same curve but at a wide angle leaving the the inside lane lane wide open. A driver drives up and purposefully makes a 90 degree turn to cut off the cyclists forcing them to stop. then he had to stop in order to turn 90 degrees back up the curve.

There's something truly psychotic about how people behave here. They act extremely small and petty. They seem to walk around with constantly obsessing over their inadequacies. 

RobRocks:

I agree with you

it happens everyday,cut off,ride at you not around you,pull out with out looking,the list goes and on

6 years 46 weeks ago
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RandomGuy:

We all know they do it because of a specific shortcoming between their hips and legs. It's not PC to say it, but it's the truth. Freud theorised that men with this specific shortcoming are more socially passive-aggressive (not directly confrontational) as a form of compensation, he was right all along.

6 years 46 weeks ago
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There are many reasons but I would narrow it down to "face" and "ego" (and possibly just a poor education system):

 

- they don't want to lose face so they can't admit error

- their ego is pretty massive due to overcompensating for insecurities, so many act arrogant and self-absorbed to not appear insecure and lose face

 

It is kind of a loop that closes in on itself... 

 

- can't be a better person due to insecurities and insecure actions

- can't get better because I can't admit a mistake and hurt my ego or lose face

 

So they get stuck in the socially acceptable behavior of that generation or society, which basically "me, me, me"... pretend the other people aren't there cause they will make you lose face and bring out your weaknesses. 

 

--- 

 

So overall, when you view the children or younger Chinese you will notice they are usually somewhat better behaved, can admit mistakes and have a more open mind. This is because many of them have traveled abroad, built up confidence, acknowledge the error of their actions and had a chance to develop themselves. 

 

Many Chinese hate these actions themselves, so as society starts to change... these actions will start to become more and more criticized. 

 

There is hope, it will just take a few generations. 

 

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6 years 46 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Truncation from spiritual development is another reason. In place of spirituality communists replace it with a human idol, Mao to start with, when Mao started losing popularity as millions starved to death because of the moron's great leap backward (not typo) movement. This is a part of the insanity during the cultural revolution which turned the already poor, violent, uneducated mass into mass murderers, hot-headed, irrational, cruel, non trusting, and deceitful psychopaths. These are the da-ma you see everyday. PRC was and is, a thieves and hookers den, en masse speaking of course.

 

Crooks, thieves, psychopaths have nothing to with altruism. Food, sex, money, face (ego) are the only things they care about in life. This is a me-only cult. There are other countries like this in 2017 on this planet, sure, but dalu mainlanders are the lowest of the lowest.

 

Before, communist china is a mental asylum and prison, like North Korea of today so to the rest of the world it presents few to no problems. The problem is, the inmates and psychos have gained a little bit of money since, and the prison warders have gained tons through cashing on the inmates' valueless life thus cheap wages. And they unlock the door of this asylum prison, releasing the beast once locked in this pandora's box. That, is not good news to civilised countries, all of them.

 

This thread is so good that I think anyone who wants to know what really is going on in china, from tourists to career planners to scholars of social science to international investors should read it as part of their homework.

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I think it is about consequences or lack thereof. And face.

There are no consequences for bad behavior so people do whatever they want without the slightest thought for others. Others who witness this or are the brunt do and say nothing so as the douche doesn't lose face. The douche gets away with whatever they have done and continues that behavior.

Stupidly dangerous behavior is the same. No one says or does anything about it because that would case the moron to lose face. This includes traffic, workplace safety as well as general stupidity.

Without consequences the cycle continues and monkey-see-monkey-do rules.

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Shifu

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This is from Singapore, written by a Singaporean chinese. People have eyes....look at the dates....yeah, right, they will change....

 

You would find how remarkably similiar the comments are. One in particular, from a Miao, ethnic minority in south west of china, who probably is a Singaporean, had me LOL. I too am fed up with the Chamberlain's kind of excuses made for Hitler....he had an abusive father, blah, blah, blah....I am willing to bet in the beginning there were also Jews who thought similarly, as Hitler kept building concentration camps....ever read about 'one belt one road' from CCP?......

 

https://www.quora.com/Why-are-many-middle-and-upper-class-Mainland-Chine...

 

'Smeesh, Hello.
Answered Oct 13, 2015

 

Blah blah blah. "The Chinese have endured a lot..." BS. I'm Miao. You probably have never heard of us because we are an ethnic minority that have been persecuted and subjugated to Han and Manchu rule since the beginning of the Ming Dynasty...

 

The Chinese (Han) were even worse to the Miao, Muslims, and other "non-Chinese" barbarians during the expansion of the Qing dynasty.

The Chinese have destroyed the local governments and territories ruled by the Miao for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

 

Documentation by foreigners (specifically by foreign missionaries) describe the Miao running for their lives from the Chinese - that's why there is a large population of Miao (Hmong) and Yi (Lisu)..etc. living in the mountainous territories in Southeast Asia today.

 

As a Miao person we are taught at a very young age about the Chinese and their rude and oppressive mentalities. Many think they are a superior people from the Sun God or something...

 

Yeah, so if you want to hear about subjugation and oppression, look up the histories about the non-Chinese "Barbarians" in the south and southwest.'

RandomGuy:

I read the top answer and OMG. get so tired with the bullshit excuses such as "China has only recently become open", China has been opened for 40 years now, far longer than two third of the countries in Southeast Asia and yet people in said countries don't behave nearly as bad and arrogant and entitled as the Chinese do. The true reason why Chinese still are backward peasants is their own refusal to adapt and evolve to match our global world, it doesn't help that the CCP is actively preventing them from evolving by controlling thought and blocking information. Chinese often complain that they get singled out and picked on and that they can't get laid with Foreign girls, but they can only blame themselves for these, their refusal to be more in line with the global society and their awkward outdated ethnic nationalism is the only reason why they are the bottom of the low in mainstream society. In other countries, ultra nationalistic retards get singled out, in China they are seen as cool, but that doesn't and never will make them cool to the rest of the world. No one thinks you are cool when you use the "We Chinese..." and insert the bold statement of mythical race superiority or supposedly 100% Chinese skill that Foreigners can't master or other baseless claims to make Foreigners look like idiots, and no one will ever think that you are cool for it.

6 years 46 weeks ago
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earthizen:

That's why dalu psychos are the lowest of the lowest on this planet, of ALL planetary lifeforms. Not joking. Just take a photo on ANY busy street in PRC without the psychos knowing, then compare their facial expression with citizens on ANY busy street in ANY other country.

 

I just found more time to read other comments with that thread. Posted the comments from an educated Singaporean (pretty obvious) under diverdude's comment above. The part about Japan and South Korea is insightful. You would enjoy reading it.

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Englteachted:

Love this one. https://www.quora.com/Why-are-there-so-many-Chinese-in-the-world

 

look at the answer, love it

6 years 45 weeks ago
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General

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all chinese are not like that,good and bad people are everywhere

 

earthizen:

This is what the locals say 'telling people your mother is a woman' kind of statement. Even a ten years old kid knows things like that. It iis the %, what makes up the norm that matters.

6 years 45 weeks ago
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Englteachted:

If I as an American said gun violence is everywhere, what would you say in response?

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6 years 45 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Simple answer....culture. It is no different when Chinese ask themselves why foreigners do the crazy things we do. What we often forget or refuse to acknowledge is that we are guests in their country. With that in mind, who is really wrong?

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