The differences in thoughts between Asians and westerners
have often been elaborated from the perspectives of history, culture, politics,
and philosophy. Therefore, it's good to
read a psychology approach to this issue. I got this when reading Richard Nisbett's The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently... And Why.
Nisbett developed his argument on the basis of psychology experiments carried out among Asians, Asian-Americans, and westerners. Of course, the results of each experiment is
never conclusive. But, as a whole, the experiments make up a bulk of argument that confirms some of his (and our) suspicion. Indeed, Nisbett merely reconfirms
many of the stereotypes existing about Asians and westerners. However, it's refreshing to learn that these
stereotypes can and have been proven through controlled psychological
experiments.
Certain parts of the book is enlightening; I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. When reading about the questions posed in his experiments, I often found myself trying to answer those questions, trying to identify whether I am more of an Asian of a
westerner. The verdict on this remains
inconclusive, but at least I have a better idea of the differences in perceptions
between the two sides.
For my own personal purposes, the book has definitely enriched
my perspective on how Asians and westerners may perceive diplomacy (and regional interactions in the Asia-Pacific) differently. Asians will most likely believe that we must
surrender ourselves to the dynamic changes in regional situations (basically "go
with the flow") and appreciate diplomatic processes more than their actual results. Meanwhile, Westerners would make us believe
that if factors to a situation are analyzed well and implemented based on theoretical underpinnings, then such situations can be
controlled to produce a desired result.
Nisbett claims that in the future, there will most likely
be two end results to the differences in thoughts between Asians and
westerners. The first assumption, like
Samuel Huntington's, is that there will be a clash of thoughts, which will draw the sides into conflict.
The second assumption, however, would see the development of a
"third way" which draws lessons from the positive values imbedded in
both ways of thinking.
For the longest time, I've thought of myself as "a banana": yellow on the outside, white on the inside. I thought of myself as an Asian by looks, but with
western thinking. Because of that, I more
than often fell into the trap of looking at the Asian way of thinking in a
condescending manner. Yes, I was naive.
The more
I live in Indonesia, and the more I'm surrounded by Asian people of various sorts, thus, the more I'm
beginning to see that there is virtue in the Asian way of thinking. That, maybe, unlike Fukuyama's prediction, the end of history is not here
yet, and that the western way of thinking is not the apex of mankind.
