How to look at the differences in values between Chinese and Western cultures

The main manifestation of the difference between Chinese and Western values 1.Mainstream of values. The mainstream of values in Western culture is the spirit of striving for self-fulfillment. Western culture promotes individuality, emphasizes the protection of personal interests, focuses on independence and the development of personal potential, and strengthens the sense of individual rights. Individualism is the criterion of all behaviors, self-realization is the highest need and purpose of life, independence is the most effective means of self-realization, and human rights are sacrosanct and inviolable, and are the guarantee of self-realization. The dominant cultural value in China is the spirit of harmony. The Chinese people have been emphasizing harmony since ancient times. In the relationship between man and nature, it advocates the unity of heaven and mankind, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature; in the relationship between man and man, it emphasizes the value of peace and goodwill; in the relationship between countries, it advocates the pro-people and good-neighborliness, and the concordance of all nations. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving and kind-hearted nation. 2. Unification and diversification of values. Chinese people are y influenced by Confucianism. They believe that the value of life is in what one does in this world, and that the more one does in society, the more meaningful one's life is. In an authoritarian society, power is everything, therefore, the most important thing a person can do is to realize the ambition of politics, and the grand ideal of "keeping the family together, ruling the country, and pacifying the world" ruled the life of millions of Chinese literati who did nothing in their lives. Under the influence of this monistic value of life, most people are unwilling to inquire about natural sciences, resulting in science being trapped in its infancy. In addition, human wisdom and talent were concentrated on political power, creating a political culture model that was unique in the world, unpredictable and solid in substance. In this special pattern, a unique historical phenomenon in China was created: those who failed to become officials sought to become saints; those who failed to serve the country retired to become hermits, or recited poems and drank wine to enjoy the wind and waves. As a result, Taoism and Buddhism emerged, and those who were greedy for life went to practice Taoism, and those who were bored with the world might as well pray to Buddha. In western culture, the value of life is diversified, politics is also the realization of the value of life, business is also considered valuable, and the best career in the eyes of westerners are lawyers and doctors. 3. Individual-oriented and group-oriented. Western culture is characterized by the emphasis on personal values, that is to say, advocating personal independence, emphasizing personal initiative, personal behavior and personal interests, the courage to forge ahead, and valuing the rights of the individual. Individualism is the core of Western culture. Individualism has multiplicity and complexity, they believe that they can save themselves; seek self-expression, emphasize personal dignity, pay attention to personal privacy, the inalienable rights of the individual; unlimited human power, advocate competition, the survival of the fittest. In Western society, people generally regard personal freedom and individual rights as a positive manifestation of the realization of self-worth, and "individualism" as a generalization of this spirit has been given positive significance. Everyone tries to be as individual as possible: self-confident, self-assured, free to express their inner feelings without external constraints, and openly expressing different opinions. The three basic structures of Chinese society, the highly centralized bureaucracy, the absolute monarchy, and the patriarchal system, are all inherently incompatible with individualism, resulting in group-oriented collectivism. The Chinese advocate that the interests of the family, society and the state should be given top priority in all matters, and advocate that the individual should be subordinate to the collective, and advocate "chieftaincy and selflessness". In dealing with the relationship between the individual and the collective, people are required to "restrain themselves and observe the way" and "keep in line with the collective or the leadership". In the relationship between the individual and the family, it is emphasized that the individual survives for the family, and that the life, death, honor and disgrace of the individual are closely related to the family. In this cultural environment, "individualism" has naturally become a pejorative term in contrast to "collectivism", such as self-righteousness and conceit, all of which are pejorative, and "individualism" is considered to be "egoism". Individualism" is regarded as "egoism". Semantics is a product of cultural atmosphere, and linguistic symbols have established cultural connotations. In Chinese, the definition of "individualism" is "the erroneous idea that everything is done from the individual's point of view, that individual interests are put above collective interests, and that one cares only for oneself and not for others. 4. The view of heaven and man. The Western tradition holds that the universe is created and controlled by God, and that man and the universe are two separate entities, therefore, the natural laws of the universe must be obeyed. Such a view of the universe gave rise to the later dualistic worldview. They regarded man and the world as separate and opposed to each other, with man in the position of dominating and transforming nature. Man's task was to discover the truths set forth by the supernatural creator, and the goal of his life was to conquer nature. Change is considered as progress, and the attitude towards life tends to be objective and rational. Therefore, Westerners look at problems on an individual basis, emphasize differences and opposites, and are accustomed to analytical and abstract thinking. This individual-oriented cosmology of the division of heaven and man has led to the emergence of the concept that man is a natural egoist. In the relationship between man and nature, the Chinese people believe that man and nature **** as one, do things to pay attention to the timing, location, and people, obey the laws of nature, pay attention to the unity of man and nature, therefore, the Chinese people are accustomed to the overall imaginative thinking. 5. Knowledge. Chinese and Westerners have different understanding of the universe, and they have different ways of acquiring knowledge. The Chinese often apply the deductive method, focusing on the overall observation of things, and the ultimate goal of acquiring knowledge is to go beyond the superficial differences and discover the inner connection and unity of things. Western theology tells us that Westerners often apply the analytical method to see things as an individual, the manifestation of a certain attribute, but do not think that each individual is equal; they recognize the individuality of things, and at the same time realize that all individual differences are interconnected in an all-encompassing unity, and realize that unity in individual differences is the highest learning. The Chinese emphasize mental processes, holistic observation, intuitive experience and aesthetic appeal in the whole cognitive process. The way of thinking tends to be vague, imprecise and flexible. Westerners acquire knowledge based on a dualistic worldview, emphasizing rationality. Thinking style tends to form direct, clear ideas through categorization and linear analysis, such as the typical trinitarian theory. Chinese people look for the power of progress in spiritual fulfillment, while Westerners see it as material progress and social development [3]. 6. Sociability. Reasonable egoism, utilitarianism, pragmatism, existentialism and private economy make people form the concept of self-centeredness and supremacy of the individual in communication. As a result, Westerners are extroverted, seek independence and utilitarianism, and advocate the transformation of nature by human beings, and sexuality is inherently evil. The formation of these ideas is directly related to the natural and social environment in which they live. Most of the western countries are in the open ocean type geographical environment, industry and commerce, navigation industry is developed, since the ancient Greek period has been focusing on the study of natural objects, explore the mystery of nature tradition. The object of people's thinking tends to the outside world, people want to re-understand nature, transform nature, conquer nature, and seek the most valuable things in the outside world for their own use. In China, the idea of the unity of heaven and mankind, the social structure based on differential order, the ethical concept of maintaining hierarchical status, and the socialist tenet of "serving the people" require that individuals should be integrated into the group, and that the interests of the state, the collective, and other people take precedence over the interests of the individual, which determines that Chinese people are introverted and subtle in their social interactions, Modesty, do not seek merit, selflessness. The concept of the unity of man and nature also believes that man and nature should develop in harmony, rather than man and nature to fight. Interpersonal relationships are governed by intangible social norms, values and etiquette. In the beginning, nature is good, advocating the return of man to nature, to maintain the nature. All things remain unchanged, and all changes do not follow the same path. The idea of benevolence and love, the middle way, makes people live and work in peace and contentment, gradual and obedient to nature. In the closed continental culture, people are satisfied with what they have. From this we can see that the Chinese people are seeking development in a stable way, seeking stability but not seeking change, and emphasizing tradition and the past. In the communication, they respect the old people, call the old people "master" and the experienced people "old hand", pay attention to the contact between the old friends, and think that the longer the communication, the deeper the feeling. 7. The view of rhetoric and defense. Westerners respect rhetoric, they are willing to master the language as a favorable tool (language is the extension of self-influence and transformation of the tools of others). They favor language because they believe that it is only through language that people can get to know each other. In today's Western societies, universities offer a wide range of courses in rhetoric and logic to motivate students to communicate effectively, and verbal communication in business is widely studied and emphasized. The emphasis on language and debate has directly or potentially influenced Westerners' communicative behaviors, strategies and styles. Therefore, in the individual-oriented Western society, people are willing to express their inner world, even if it is trivial, through language, and they are talkative and good at expressing themselves. Rhetoric in China is merely a communication skill and is not regarded as a science. Eloquence is considered superfluous, and a talkative person is seen as showy and insincere. In the group-oriented Chinese society, people are self-suppressed in their communication, speak politely and subtly, use their words carefully, pay attention to the way they speak, and are highly sensitive and receptive to their environment. Language is often seen as a means of maintaining social harmony, not just a tool for expressing ideas and information. Confucius' attitude towards language is cautious, and he has always advocated that "a gentleman should be careful with his words and sensitive in his actions". 8. Time and money. The Western concept of time is a linear concept of time, time is like a straight line, is a one-way continuous movement, is "passing, flying". In the eyes of Westerners, there is no way out of reversion, only forward beyond the hope, so in the time orientation, the West is the future orientation, that is, never return linear forward orientation. This is also the reason why Westerners tend to change and like to seek differences and new things. Chinese people are predominantly past-oriented, emphasizing things that happened in the past. When people do something, they first consider whether they have done it in the past, what successes or failures they have experienced, and so on. And even today how to do, often to the past as a standard, so follow the rules has become a social norm, and closely related to this is the people worship ancestors, respect for the elderly and teachers, the importance of experience, the importance of age, because these are linked to the past. Westerners' view of time and money is linked together, the concept of time is money is y rooted, so they treasure time, often in life on time have made careful arrangements and plans, and developed a good habit of keeping appointments on time. The Chinese belong to a multi-directional time habits of the country, in the use of time has a great deal of arbitrariness, generally not as strict as the West in accordance with the plan to carry out the Westerners often feel uncomfortable with this. 9. Age. In Chinese culture, elders symbolize wisdom and authority. The word "old" symbolizes experience and knowledge. "Teacher", "old cadre", and "Li Lao" have become honorifics reserved for the few who are highly respected. On the contrary, respect for youth is the first value in Western culture. Youth represents the future, symbolizing infinite plasticity and possibilities. In Western eyes, youth symbolizes health, wealth and wisdom. Western society is a society of fierce competition and individual struggle. When people get old, it means that they have retreated from the stage of social competition; for women, "old" also means the loss of charm, which is a painful and sad thing for individuals, so people are not willing to admit their old age; and the elderly have a strong sense of independence, and have a kind of self-esteem not to obey the old. Therefore, age has become a person's privacy. 10. Family values. China is family-oriented. "Cultivating one's body, keeping the family in order, and ruling the country and the world are the programs of our country. Home is the universe of life in the minds of the Chinese, a harbor of life, with supreme cohesion. The Chinese people are "wanderers" when they leave their homes, and advocate that they should not travel far from their parents' home. In a family, there is a relationship between the eldest and the youngest, and between husband and wife, each of whom must fulfill his or her obligations, i.e., "fulfilling one's obligations"! According to Mencius, the saints are the "people of the human family", and the core of the family is "absolute obedience", with the young obeying the elders and the wife obeying the husband. One of the reasons why the family is so important is "filial piety", "filial piety is the first of all good deeds", and "filial piety" is the national essence of China. Western culture emphasizes the self, the individual, and the pursuit of independence. Elders and juniors can call each other by their first names. Children move out of their homes when they reach adulthood to live on their own and support themselves, and the elderly generally do not live with their children, relying on their own independence. In the West, there are clear boundaries between family members, the young and the old get together and pay for their own meals, and there is a great deal of respect for the children, with the first question asked when entering a child's room being "May I come in?", and it is emphasized that the children are proud of their independence from their parents and their struggle to live independently of their parents, and they are happy to talk about their personal insights. Conclusion: Western and Eastern values are two cultures with different natures and origins, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They are both different and complementary. In cross-cultural communication, it is important to pay attention to the differences and avoid mistakes. Scientific treatment of Western civilization and other outstanding civilizations, absorbing the strengths of others, make up for their shortcomings, in order to promote the development of their own people.