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Among the few possible reasons I buy the Confucius explanation more.
"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table." (Confucius)
Confucius may not be the one who got the idea though. China was ruled by dictators all throughout its history and one of Chinese emperors' biggest fears was assassins, one reason being the way they got their power.
The worst assassins were the ones who managed to get close to you such as during dining..
Normally the emperor sat far away from the guests with the queen but sharp objects at the guests' table could be weaponized so no nothing sharp.
It could be something Confucius picked up in the palace where he was invited to give talks and he taught the "ant people", the then term for commoners this practice. He could not reveal the real reason because that would most likely cost him his head.
These "royal fears" can still be found today in China........
Did you ever try picking food out of a pot of boiling soup at a hotpot restaurant with your fingers?
There's your answer.
Why Ask Why? Google it! 
icnif77:
DuckDuckGo is much swifter ... 
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/asian-nations-use-chopsticks/
Created roughly 4,000-5,000 years ago in China, the earliest versions of something like chopsticks were used for cooking (they’re perfect for reaching into pots full of hot water or oil) and were most likely made from twigs. While it’s difficult to nail down a firm date, it would seem it wasn’t until around 500-400 AD that they began being used as table utensils.
One factor that contributed to this switch was a population boom across the country. Consequently, resources, particularly for cooking, became incredibly scarce. As a result, people began cutting their food into tiny pieces so it would cook faster.
The bite sized morsels rendered table knives obsolete, as there was very little left to cut. However, they were now perfect for eating with chopsticks, which were ....
I always suspected it was because of the importance of food in the culture. You can't just shovel down large amounts of the shared dishes on the table. Even if you're really hungry/greedy, it requires significant time, effort and composure to pick away at the dishes with those little sticks. During which time, table companions have ample opportunity to take a few bites before you polish off the dish.
In a way, it's a civilizing custom. And since many Chinese operationalize their lives in a way I'd describe as "min-maxing for the win" (coz it's how I'd try to win an RPG, believing that the computer can't respond to my abuses and exploits - no idea why Chinese believe their interactive environment is unresponsive to system abuses, though), perhaps it prevents resentments and hostility from forming against many people who elbow their way to the plate, to get the most that they can. If you see life as a zero-sum game, as many Chinese do, then it's all about getting a slight competitive advantage at the expense of others. Nowhere is this phenomenon more obvious, than when you share a meal. Food has become so important in China, that the way you eat is seen as a strong indicator of your level of civility. Sadly, it's too easy for people to feign generosity and consideration for others at the dinner table, while the rest of their behaviour is far less altruistic.
Compared to China, Europeans don't place such a high value on food customs. Not anymore, at least. I think farming subsidies and convenience products have lowered food customs' importance even more. At the dinner table, individualist values (freedom, self-determination) are paramount. Which leads to awkwardness when a Chinese chooses a piece of meat for you, and puts it on your plate.
"Eh ...thank you?"
There are clues in history, that food has always had a lower significance in European culture. We don't cultivate as many herbs and flavourings, and it's not that there weren't any good herbs to choose from. Spices were seen as an exotic import; an expression of luxury consumption. Not a necessity, or even something you couldn't be perfectly happy without.
I don't think anyone but Europeans could have initiated the colonial era. I couldn't imagine Chinese, Indians or anyone else for that matter, being willing to stay on a ship for any length of time, without immediate access to fresh ingredients for Chicken Masala, Mango chutney, baozi and noodle soup. If you look at Zheng He's exploration routes, he never really went anywhere unless he was sure there was temperate land nearby. He didn't go far into the arid regions of the Persian Gulf and Red Sea for long, and when East Africa was a bunch of deserts and hostile jungles, he was like: "Screw you guys, I'm going home."
coineineagh:
But nitpicking originated simultaneously in multiple cultures.
Among the few possible reasons I buy the Confucius explanation more.
"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table." (Confucius)
Confucius may not be the one who got the idea though. China was ruled by dictators all throughout its history and one of Chinese emperors' biggest fears was assassins, one reason being the way they got their power.
The worst assassins were the ones who managed to get close to you such as during dining..
Normally the emperor sat far away from the guests with the queen but sharp objects at the guests' table could be weaponized so no nothing sharp.
It could be something Confucius picked up in the palace where he was invited to give talks and he taught the "ant people", the then term for commoners this practice. He could not reveal the real reason because that would most likely cost him his head.
These "royal fears" can still be found today in China........
I am amazed the Scots did not invent them.
Single handed eating means I can hold a glass at the same time 
