New Reply

Post a Reply

Thread: Westerners' Euphemistic Tactics

Title: (100 characters at most)

Content: ( 3,000 characters at most, please )

You can add emoticons below to your post by clicking them.

[quote=SHESGOTTOBE,271022]In my experience, Westerners are not any more polite or direct than Asians, just different ways of expressing. For example, in Asian countries, it is considered impolite if you maintain eye contact with another person. It is intrusive and sometimes seen as a sign of aggression or even asking for a fight. It is directly opposite in the West, where it is a sign of respect, confidence, interest and that the person making the eye contact is paying full attention to you. It is also considered if the person is being honest and sincere because a person who is lying can’t seem to maintain eye contact.

In every culture, people have their own ways of avoiding confrontations and offending people. I don’t think anyone would appreciate a rude and condescending individual especially if it would cause a loss of face for the other party. In the West, you’d be called a jerk if you do that. A person can air his/her opinion in a civil way.

In some cultures, it is “impolite” to say NO, so people use other gestures or body language to say NO. If people are direct and say what they really feel, there would be less misunderstanding. Personally, I like direct people because I hate mind games whether with family or friends. And it is not going to be the end of the world for me if the other person says NO. But it will be a tragedy for me if I learn that the person is a liar all along. Although I value courtesy, I am very wary of people who are “too nice”. We all know nobody is perfect. It takes time but I like to know the individual’s character and not to rely too much on first impressions. Many people who are “too nice” actually stab you behind your back and many people who seem too bold and saucy are actually just being honest. 
[/quote]

characters left

Name:

Get a new code