Useful Things Help To Understand How Chinese Thinking（1）
The family comes first, but the group matters
It often helps if you think of a Chinese person as being part of his or her family and group, rather than as a single individual. The family has long been the basic building block of the state and the natural centre of an individual’s attention. Major personal decisions, such as a suitable career, that in the West would be made by the individual are often made on a family basis. The group tradition was reinforced by their experience of communism, where people were forced to participate in group discussions and any individual who stood out might later be punished. The group is seen as a source of strength and comfort, and business decisions are generally made on a consensus basis, within the framework dictated by the top person, be it a highly placed politician or public servant, the owner of the firm, or the chief executive officer (CEO).
This submergence in family and work-group means that many adult Chinese are reluctant to take decisions on their own. A seemingly one-person problem in a factory may eventually be solved by a decision taken only after extended discussion by the group; otherwise it might not be solved at all. If you find that a Chinese person’s attitude to a topic seems vague, it is often the result of the person knowing that the final decision must be made by a group or by some process higher up and out of sight. The views of this particular individual must be in line with that decision.
The work unit commands a strong loyalty for two main reasons. First, it was intrinsic to the job-for-life approach adopted by the communist government, as well as being the means of delivering limited social welfare, such as rudimentary health care or a little unemployment pay. This facet of the work unit is being rapidly eroded. Second, it is part of the Confucian deferential attitude towards authority that the unit represents.
The importance of belonging to and identifying with a group has a strong impact on the tolerance of humour and criticism. The Chinese do not find jokes about their country’s political leaders or policy funny; indeed such irreverence shocks them. You should make a point of not making jokes about these things, or even about your own government or its policies, which in Chinese eyes would demean you.
Until very recently, the group attitude dominated job allocation. Personal preferences counted for little and the needs of the country (the largest group of all) over-rode individual wishes, so that people were simply told what they would study at college, what job they would do, and where in China they would be sent. This has changed, and many can now choose where to seek employment.
"Keep us in our proper stations"
In both Confucian China and Nineteenth century England, people were educated and trained to know their place and to be content with it; deviations, criticisms and rebellious behaviour were not tolerated. One practical consequence is that in China you might find it hard to get someone to give you his or her personal opinion. The views of higher authority will automatically be followed and presented as not only correct but also the actual views of the speakers themselves. Dissent from the opinions of those above is uncommon.
