Acting by Western values in China
keeps hitting walls—maybe the root is
deep cultural DNA
carved into social and interpersonal norms
In Western culture, ordinary people's communication
is more transparent and direct, encouraging feelings and ideas
Being easy to read is a pejorative here
Simple, straightforward people live better in Western society
A naive kid who can't spot fakes or set boundaries
gets drained dry by this society
a sacrifice plundered again and again
Eastern jungle society, dark-forest rules, even more so
so you have to wear a mask and pretend
to protect yourself and defend against others
always inferring real intent behind words
Exhausting
Yet to stand and truly blend in here
you must accept this reality
Guanxi society's essence comes from widespread distrust
so people form factions to spot outsiders
because the culture lacks contract-spirit constraints
and well-functioning trust oversight
The cost of breaking morals and contracts is too low
Cheating thrives; ugliness is beauty
Evil is glory; laugh at poverty not at prostitution
All from this
Taking Western values as an ideal isn't wrong
What's wrong is assuming everyone else
also believes/accepts/understands them
That's putting yourself on the chopping block
hoping people act in good conscience
Human nature famously fails that test
So a gentleman shouldn't stand under a crumbling wall
You can keep distance but not escape
As long as you live on this land
learn to tell sincerity from pretense
You don't have to participate
but you can't be violated
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Acting by Western values in China
From X · @therealfreddyx
Thoughts
mew～
Acting by Western values in China
keeps hitting walls—maybe the root is
deep cultural DNA
carved into social and interpersonal norms
In Western culture, ordinary people's communication
is more transparent and direct, encouraging feelings and ideas
Being easy to read is a pejorative here
Simple, straightforward people live better in Western society
A naive kid who can't spot fakes or set boundaries
gets drained dry by this society
a sacrifice plundered again and again
Eastern jungle society, dark-forest rules, even more so
so you have to wear a mask and pretend
to protect yourself and defend against others
always inferring real intent behind words
Exhausting
Yet to stand and truly blend in here
you must accept this reality
Guanxi society's essence comes from widespread distrust
so people form factions to spot outsiders
because the culture lacks contract-spirit constraints
and well-functioning trust oversight
The cost of breaking morals and contracts is too low
Cheating thrives; ugliness is beauty
Evil is glory; laugh at poverty not at prostitution
All from this
Taking Western values as an ideal isn't wrong
What's wrong is assuming everyone else
also believes/accepts/understands them
That's putting yourself on the chopping block
hoping people act in good conscience
Human nature famously fails that test
So a gentleman shouldn't stand under a crumbling wall
You can keep distance but not escape
As long as you live on this land
learn to tell sincerity from pretense
You don't have to participate
but you can't be violated
keeps hitting walls—maybe the root is
deep cultural DNA
carved into social and interpersonal norms
In Western culture, ordinary people's communication
is more transparent and direct, encouraging feelings and ideas
Being easy to read is a pejorative here
Simple, straightforward people live better in Western society
A naive kid who can't spot fakes or set boundaries
gets drained dry by this society
a sacrifice plundered again and again
Eastern jungle society, dark-forest rules, even more so
so you have to wear a mask and pretend
to protect yourself and defend against others
always inferring real intent behind words
Exhausting
Yet to stand and truly blend in here
you must accept this reality
Guanxi society's essence comes from widespread distrust
so people form factions to spot outsiders
because the culture lacks contract-spirit constraints
and well-functioning trust oversight
The cost of breaking morals and contracts is too low
Cheating thrives; ugliness is beauty
Evil is glory; laugh at poverty not at prostitution
All from this
Taking Western values as an ideal isn't wrong
What's wrong is assuming everyone else
also believes/accepts/understands them
That's putting yourself on the chopping block
hoping people act in good conscience
Human nature famously fails that test
So a gentleman shouldn't stand under a crumbling wall
You can keep distance but not escape
As long as you live on this land
learn to tell sincerity from pretense
You don't have to participate
but you can't be violated