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Q: Do Chinese people in real life...
...fabricate an adventurous life by reading wikipedia and other internet sources, and try to pass it off as their own like a few here do?
From my experiences here I believe the average Chinese family leads what we would refer to as an excrutiatingly mundane life consisting of shopping, eating, sleeping and getting together for no apparent reason.
Plagiarism and copying is an acceptable form of communication here. Whether it be written, emotional or physical. There must be an old Chinese proverb somewhere that reads, "If you must attain face or get ahead in life, copying from others is paramount. Only the fool speaks for himself."
I can't speak for the average Chinese family. I am not quite sure what the average Chinese might be either.
I am sorry that many feel on this Board have negative sentiments about the country and feel that plagiarism and copying is an acceptable form of communication in the PRC. I do believe that this criticism is not indigenuous to China alone.
In my teaching days at home, however, rest assured that plagiarism was just as rampant among the students that I taught -- amongst those that actually read and write with a certain amount of literacy, however, because in the school where I worked, 50% of the students could not meet the state's minimum qualifications for reading and writing proficiency.
GuilinRaf:
Two years ago, I failed 22 out of 35 students for plagiarism. The Computer Science Department (the student's major) had a fit when I refused to change the scores.
derek:
I don't believe it is acceptable at all. My students and their parents think it's ok however.
GuilinRaf:
Yes they did. I was ther e for a full four years. And when I moved to Beijing, they tried to match the salary.
HugAPanda:
I want to know what backwoods, Podunk, inbred school system you allegedly worked for. And, out of curiosity, for that 50% illiteracy rate, would that be the fault of the students or the teachers? If your students were 50% illiterate, it is no wonder you are no longer teaching in the west. As far as plagiarism goes, when the student is caught in most schools it is automatic fail, suspension and, from any reputable, respectable college/university, kicked out. Again, your credibility is worthless.
981977405:
Just look at the literacy rates of most of the inner city schools in Atlanta, Detroit, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and how many of these schools end up either being closed or taken over the state government. America is a failure in literacy.
twentynine:
981 (aka mattaya), stop trying to convince everyone that you're not Chinese. You seem to avoid answering questions when confronted with facts.
I agree with you that most Chinese lead a mundane life ,especially those aged over 45 years old.But more and more youngsters in China begin to think about the meaning of life,they start to think about the other things other than money,house,and rank.Though the number of this group is still small,but there indeed exist.I don't know why you think there are some Chinese here fabricating the adventurous life and just to show off,anyway,i don't know any one among the people around me.Maybe there are some one like this in the country ,but i think most of the articles about adventure writen by Chinese tell the truth.
Maybe because this is how religion influence you, even if you are not real religious people.
Religious people deem atheists are ignorance, and live a mundane life.
thedude:
No, this has nothing to do with religion. Most athiests I know live life to the max.
HugAPanda:
How would religion encourage you to fabricate your life experiences?
GuilinRaf:
I am Catholic, and do not think that if a person is Atheist he/she is ignorant. Religious belief has nothing to do with someone being ignorant.
981977405:
Sorry GuiliRaf but the Catholic Church has been at the base of some of the worst ignorance in history .... the Inquisition, sex without condoms, encouraging third world mothers to make babies ad infinitum, the sex abuse scandals with no end, the world is flat theory of the Middle Ages. For some reason, Catholicism breeds intolerance. Just look at Northern Ireland.
GuilinRaf:
1-Yes, you are right. However we no longer burn people at the stake, most do not pay attention to the Pope regarding condoms and Northern Ireland was really not based on religion but on political freedom from England. Most Brits are Anglicans (the State Church of England) while most Irish were Catholic and were not being allowed to practice their faith freely. In fact, until well into the 20th Century, if you were Roman Catholic you could not hold certain offices in the government nor could you be an officer in the military, so the inteolerance went both ways. Today, Sex abusers in the clergy are being prosecuted etc. It is not perfect but we are trying and hopefully we will get better. 2-Regarding ignoranceDont forget that Gregor Mendel was a monk and many other members of the clergy were also people of learning (Nicolaus Copernicus, Gregor Mendel, Georges Lemaître, Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, Pierre Gassendi, Roger Joseph Boscovich, Marin Mersenne, Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Nicole Oresme, Jean Buridan, Robert Grosseteste, Christopher Clavius, Nicolas Steno, Athanasius Kircher, Giovanni Battista Riccioli, William of Ockham and Matteo Ricci). For centuries, the only place where a woman could get an education and the opportunity to make use of that education was in the Church. Even now, Catholic schools and univeristies are well regarded in the US (especially those run by Jesuits and the Dominican and Augustinian orders). In addition monasteries were the foundation of Universities today. 3-Now, as to the comments under Blah's comment, it was said that religious people consider Atheists as ignorant and I was disagreeing. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Generally speaking, religious people are considered close minded, bigoted, ignorant and superstitious.
Does religion have to do with the difference in ethics in west and east? thedude thinks not. I don't see how he could be right. In the West and especially in America, religion is an innate and unavoidable influence. Whether we are aware of it or not, whether we are "religious" or not, religion and it's ethical culture influence all in the West. The founding father's actions and laws were faith based. From the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution, to the structure of our government (America), religion and the fear and respect of a God is a powerful influence. Even those who profess atheism have a family tree that leads to a belief in a higher power, thus a sense of higher ethics. God has always been the ultimate check and balance in the West, even if some do not conciously recognize it.
The East is another matter, especially China. Government wiped God off the map quite a while ago and in essence have replaced God. And when they saw "God" cheating, the people were bound to copy.
thedude:
I'm not sure why you think I disagree with this. You make very good points. My family is Christian and I was a church going Christian once. I just hate the church now (because of greed and control issues), and quite frankley what they call church in China is a bigger travesty than what they pass as church back home. Organized religion is just a method to control people and the local government wants to be the primary manipulater, hence the state sponsered churches. No question religion influences us all regardless of beliefs. The difference is those who are bought and sold for the cause are far less objective and more willing to believe whatever crap they are told. Faith is subjective.
Also I would add for what it's worth that many of the founding fathers were in fact athiests.
xinyuren:
You will have no argument from me about the state of organized religion today, in the world as well as America. But whether it is pure or adulturated, religion has a lot to do with the decisions we make in life, even if we are unaware of it. Just like the totalitarian government has a lot to do (directly or indirectly) with Chinese citizens' actions. "Each one to his gods..", as the saying goes.
GuilinRaf:
Not just religion (or lack of it) but politics, ethnicity, nationalism, etc. can be manipulated by those who seek power. All have the equal potential of spurring us to greater things AND they also have the potential for the greatest abuses. I have met Atheists who have better "Christian Spirit" (for want of a better term) than many so-called Christians and vice versa. My girlfriend is Muslim and our relationship works because we respect each other. She has never tried to convert me nor impose her beleifs on me nor have I to her. As everything, the problem lies in the fanatics and those can be found everywhere.
