What Taiwanese Mothers Teach their Children
"Don't think too much."
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A few words on this:
There are many cultural differences between Taiwan and the United States. Some are funny, some are strange, some are expected. This however, is the most foreign concept to me I've yet to encounter. Having always been encouraged to be a "Free Thinker", the idea of "too much thinking," or in reality, "stifling thought" is - to me - absolutely absurd.
When Taiwanese culture has the upper hand on America, I give it to them. Community, for example, is a concept the United States has just about forgotten. But I want to form Community that encourages thought and contemplation and questioning and innovation and creativity. I want to push past the norm for something new. I want to live amongst those willing to analyze and over-analyze all aspects of life; question, doubt, and feel safe doing so.
As I've found out, these concepts are inversely foreign to the Taiwanese. Maybe it's their cultural desire to identify within the group that has indoctrinated in them the idea that out-of-bounds thinking is dangerous.
Within my time here, I've purposefully sought to learn what I can from this foreign culture. Through encountering this "proverb" I've learned just how valuable an open and questioning mind is to my survival.
What's your take? Is thinking dangerous? Is there such a thing as "thinking too much"? What would be the situation where stifling thought is beneficial?
There are many cultural differences between Taiwan and the United States. Some are funny, some are strange, some are expected. This however, is the most foreign concept to me I've yet to encounter. Having always been encouraged to be a "Free Thinker", the idea of "too much thinking," or in reality, "stifling thought" is - to me - absolutely absurd.
When Taiwanese culture has the upper hand on America, I give it to them. Community, for example, is a concept the United States has just about forgotten. But I want to form Community that encourages thought and contemplation and questioning and innovation and creativity. I want to push past the norm for something new. I want to live amongst those willing to analyze and over-analyze all aspects of life; question, doubt, and feel safe doing so.
As I've found out, these concepts are inversely foreign to the Taiwanese. Maybe it's their cultural desire to identify within the group that has indoctrinated in them the idea that out-of-bounds thinking is dangerous.
Within my time here, I've purposefully sought to learn what I can from this foreign culture. Through encountering this "proverb" I've learned just how valuable an open and questioning mind is to my survival.
What's your take? Is thinking dangerous? Is there such a thing as "thinking too much"? What would be the situation where stifling thought is beneficial?
