- Taipei people say “Come together in the sky”, but just casually talk about it? Maybe they don’t want to hang out with you, but a friendly concern.
- The social culture in Taiwan is very different, not to mention from country to country. When going abroad, be careful with your existing thinking, and never judge others with your habit and personal vision.
- In the face of people from different cultural backgrounds, learn to let go of yourself and not pre-set positions, which may reduce misunderstandings between people.
At a community gathering in Taiwan, when the wine was hot, A had to catch the high-speed rail because he lived in the central and southern parts of the country, so he said goodbye to everyone first. Northerner B, who was still eating, shouted, “Look for Tian Juju next time!”
At this time, C, who also lived in the south, said to A, “I tell you, don’t worry about what B said. You must know that when people in Taipei talk about getting together another day, they are just talking, if you are serious. , it will be sad.”
After A left, some people began to discuss that the people of Tianlong Kingdom had to reflect on why they felt this way. A southerner said that because southerners have been deceived by Taipei people too many times, a friend said he was looking for a time to get together, but he really hurry up to make an appointment and find a place. He was very hurt, and only later found out that this is a greeting from Taipei people.
He realized that when people in Taipei say “go to the sky to gather together”, it means “to get in touch with you”, not really looking for you for a gathering, but a kind of concern. Just like asking if you have eaten, it is not asking you to eat, but a greeting. If you don’t understand the other party’s language, there will be a gap in the expectations of the two parties, which will lead to the problem that some people don’t care, and some people take it seriously.
Be careful, cultural differences lead to misunderstandings
The tone of speech and social culture in different parts of Taiwan are very different, not to mention the cultural differences between countries and countries are even greater. Therefore, we must not judge the behavior patterns of people in other regions or countries with our original habits and vision.
This kind of thinking is most likely to occur when we go abroad. When we see that the behavior of foreigners is different from what we are used to, we will intuitively believe that we are right and the other party is wrong. Just like the epidemic prevention policy of this new crown pneumonia epidemic, the Western and Eastern approaches and ideas are very different.
When the new crown pneumonia first started, Asians would be viewed differently by Westerners as long as they wore masks. Because in the Western concept, people who wear masks are sick people and should not go outside. Asians think that this is a way to protect themselves and others, and they don’t understand why foreigners are so afraid of death.
Even though Westerners put on masks for public health and safety because of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, they took off their masks as soon as the epidemic was lifted. Because Westerners value freedom more than life, which is not the same as Taiwan’s value of life first. When differences arise, misunderstandings occur.
Learn to respect and avoid misunderstandings
The most valuable thing between people is respect. When I see someone who is different from ours, the first thought is not to disdain or think that the other party is wrong, but to understand and accept before communicating. I have learned that when encountering a situation that is different from what I imagined, I should first learn to accept it, and then tell myself “that’s how it is” and avoid speaking self-righteous language.
When I was studying in Canada, I was shocked by education. One of the class exercises was to interview people on the street. I found a woman who was selling cultural and creative things on the roadside, and invited her to interview and record it to talk about the characteristics of the street and her experience in doing business. She was happy at first and agreed, but at the end of the conversation, when I asked about her background and age, her expression changed and she told me that it was private, but she refused to answer. I explained to her that I just wanted to know where the people doing small businesses on this street came from, and she still waved me away. That experience taught me that Westerners take privacy very seriously, and it is very impolite to ask about age and background.
We must have basic respect for others, not self-centeredness, assuming that the other party is what we imagine, and communicate with others in a natural way. In the face of people with different cultural backgrounds, first study the other party’s culture and learn to follow the customs when entering the country, otherwise they will step on landmines.
Let go of yourself, don’t presume a position, don’t criticize, and perhaps the misunderstanding between people will also be reduced a lot.
