The East versus West debate

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 A couple of years ago somebody forwarded me a set of infographics explaining the differences between Eastern and Western culture. I sent them around to loads of friends of all nationalities and we all found them to them fascinating. We couldn't help noting how much of it was true.

This website has the best collection of all the ones I remember from that email chain.
Today, after a web search, I discovered that they were created by Yang Liu , a Chinese-born German who now lives in NY. They are now popular with managers looking to work internationally and also to understand their diverse teams better in this shrinking world.

I wonder if Yang Liu minds having a lot of her infographics floating around the web without being credited to her. I hope she finds solace in the fact that her project has been successful and people still remember it even after several years! I also hit upon this interesting article from the Science Journal explaining Eastern and Western styles of thinking. It has some generalisations but on the whole seems to make sense.

My addition to this whole debate is an idea that I would find difficult to express as a graphic. Does anyone agree that generally speaking, in the West having a holiday adds to the 'Cool' factor of a person. The more exotic or adventurous the holiday, the higher the 'Cool' factor. Which does add a fair bit of pressure all around in trying to find funkier (read unheard of) destinations and holiday activities than no one in your social circle or work circle has been to. Whereas in the East having a holiday that doesn't involve meeting family members or relatives is considered indolent, indulgent and somewhat selfish. Perhaps the 'honeymoon' holiday is the most acceptable form of individual holiday expression in the East. (All downhill thereafter, tackling extended families of in-laws as my trusted sources tell me ;-)

Luckily for some of us a new, generation of Eastern-heritage travellers have decided to defy the norm and are ready to hop on a tour bus, high speed train or a budget airline with equal enthusiasm. The camera however is still the Most Important gadget in the rucksack!




(Photos: Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi 2008 and  Alexanderplatz, Berlin 2011)

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