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ChineseChinese  
Chinese Personality/characteristics

 

  Financial Times, UK (Chinese edition) 李江 1.28.2016 http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001065967?full=y 

   1. Chinese Nationalism has strong Confucian color, one of its core value is "standard  (禮)" - a series of interpersonal relations specification for Chinese conform to, everyone should learn their role, positioning, and obligation to meet, etc.

   2. Chinese Nationalism has strong sad/tragic color and thoughts of revenge, China's history is filled with humiliations, hence, some foreign factors may easily burn and trigger their thoughts of revenge. 

   3. Chinese Nationalism has strong tool color - for Integrating social conscience and for giving vent to people's anger or negative emotions,  besides, being a Ideology, Chinese may more uphold their ruling party and country.  (brief)

 

 

 

★  The United Daily  9-16-2015


      In Taiwanese eyes, Chinese personality includes:

      positive: active, friendly, candid frank, forthright, enthusiastic about /love its own people 
      ●
bad part: doughty, valiant, a control freak/imperiousness, show off wealth, uncivilized, unsanitary, disobedience to law   

 

 

 

★  The United Daily  2016-05-15 03:37 /reported in Beijing

 

RENMIN UNIVERSITY of CHINA professor 沙蓮香's study in Chinese Personality Traits still is a prestige and authoritative bible on this subject till now. 

 

  Chinese Personality before Chinese Cultural Revolution : hardworking and frugal (勤儉)、charity kindheartedness(仁愛)、loyal; devoted()filial piety() integrity; moral courage(氣節) etc positive evaluation.
● 
Chinese Personality after Chinese Cultural Revolution  : submit to; yield to (屈從)hoodwink; dupe; deceive; hide (欺瞞) private morality ( contrast to public/social  morality 私德)utilitarian(功利) etc negative evaluations.

 

Some scholars pointed out that today's Chinese don't trust each other,  moral bankruptcy(道德淪喪), frame/set up each other (互相陷害), being obedient to on surface but not to accept as correct deep in heart (表面順從心裡不以為然), being so hidden gradually / Hide your heart from sight (日漸深藏不露、言行相詭) or being be a yes-man (唯唯諾諾)、or never tell a truth, besides, seek nothing but profits (唯利是圖)indifferent; apathetic(漠不關心), violent attitudes (暴戾之氣) and so on.

 

more pls. ref. to

 

http://wechatinchina.com/thread-258809-1-1.html

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_87956b580102vr8g.html

 

 

 

 <Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences> research, Jan. 23, 2009  

 (Shanghai) " What's the image of Chinese men in the eyes of the Western woman ? "

Professor Zhang Jie (張結海) , Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences(上海社科院社會所教授), overall concluded after 2 years studies on this subject : male Chinese image is not sharp/vivid (鮮明), and even sort negative, they're modest, but lack of manner/sportsmanship(風度), hard-working but slightly short of confidence.

In the eyes of Western women, Chinese men's overall image is  " the rural youth just entered college: they are self-motivated, thrifty, smart, but more out-of-date/old fashioned (比較土), and some do not pay attention to hygiene.  Some lack self-confidence, afraid to face someone else's eyes.

...  Overall, the Western women believe that the only thing Chinese men defeated the Western man is "taking care of his families".

Chinese men lost Western men in those places like : sexual attraction, independence, self-cultivation, and etiquette(修養和禮儀), sense of humor, romantic, degree of respect for women, creativity, courage, and fashion. ...  In addition, the Chinese men are not clean enough, such as their nails are dirty, and spitting.

 

ref. to google translation frm  星洲日報/國際• Sin Chew Daily / International • 2009.01.23

   by People.com.cn   Nov. 4, 2004

The research below by Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS, had already been publicized domestic and oversea.

1. Better leadership by male.  
2. Elder Chinese people have better sense of responsibility than youngsters.
3. Younger male  people are more practical or realistic (actual) than younger female Chinese.   Youngsters are more tactful or sophisticated than elder people.
4. Hong Kong people are more practical or realistic (actual) than mainland Chinese,  mainland Chinese value face more than HK Chinese people.
5. As for "Family Indifference" , 26 - 35 aged Chinese score best.
6. Hong Kong elders show more tendency to self-center.
7. Tolerance of mainland Chinese elders increase, Hong Kong elders decrease.
8. GuangZhou people are more  pro-active, energetic, positive than XiAnn people.
9. The better living standard, the more open-minded and tolerant.

US people are generally more open, straight-forward and optimistic,  If comparing Chinese with US standard, probably, many Chinese will be described as sort of "a tendency to suffer from depression"

Chinese interpersonal relationship usually follows some "hidden rules"  ―  Chinese people looks harmonious, but everyone has his own ambition or interest behind.

US people are individualism, Chinese are collectivism and value face.

★ <Foreign Policy>,     1.29.2015     http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/29/taipeis-fiery-new-mayor-knows-whose-culture-is-best/

"Taipei’s Fiery New Mayor Knows Whose Culture Is Best"  -   Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je's opinion:

For the [world’s] four Chinese-speaking regions — Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mainland China — the longer the colonization, the more advanced a place is. It’s rather embarrassing. Singapore is better than Hong Kong; Hong Kong is better than Taiwan; Taiwan is better than the mainland. I’m speaking in terms of culture. I’ve been to Vietnam and mainland China. Even though the Vietnamese are seemingly poor, they always stop in front of red traffic lights and walk in front of green ones. Even though mainland China’s GDP is higher than that of Vietnam, if you ask me about culture, the Vietnamese culture is superior...I think keeping a democratic, liberal Taiwan benefits Chinese history. When people say the Chinese people do not deserve universal suffrage, there have been five presidential elections in Taiwan already. People say that the Chinese people are not civic-minded; [but] take a look at Taiwan’s subway. It’s cleaner than the New York subway.
 

 

★  The Liberty Times  林于倫   http://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/956211      http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5072268

 

   Chinese businessmen and the youth are proud of their "wolf" characteristics - aggressive, dare to compete, and are willing to do anything, by hook or by crook to reach their goal, these guys will sweep the globe.

 

   Chinese are fervent nationalist being short of cultural rhythm and rational thinking... they believe autocratic society is more effective, hence, individual can be sacrifice or limited for group benefit and development, they are both superior and Inferior ... (brief)

 

 

 

<Liberty Times 自由時報>,Taiwan, Sept. 30, 2012,〈李筱峰專欄〉國立台北教育大學台灣文化研究所教授馬英九虐扁的心理分析
Hatred and revenge 'is a Chinese political culture, this kind of political culture, lack of humanitarian sympathy. 美國學者Lucian W. Pye說得很乾脆:「很少國家的政治文化像中國那樣強調仇恨」; 英哲羅素批評中國人「缺乏同情心」; AHSmith也曾指出中國人無惻隱之心;胡適曾說中國人「野蠻」,魯迅更以「殘虐」形容中國人。 American scholar Lucian W. Pye said very simply: "the political culture of a small country like China emphasized hatred"; the British the Hucho prime criticized Chinese "lack of compassion"; AHSmith have pointed out that the Chinese people no sense of pity; Hu Shi once said Chinese "barbaric", Lu Xun described the Chinese people. "tyrannical" 馬的虐扁,充分顯露這種仇恨與報復主義的中國政治文化!  ps: translation by google

 book:【Explorations of Chinese Personality】( Chinese book title【解讀中國人 的人格)  ,  author : 王登峰崔紅,  published in Aug. 2005, recommended by president of Chinese psychology association, former chairperson of Beijing University, professor in U.C. Berkley, USA, etc

1Chinese personality - construct etc

  high-score ones in Chinese (contrary to low-score ones )
extraversion(外向性) 活躍合群樂觀
kindness, goodness, virtuous (善良) 利他誠信重感情
behavior style or manner (行事風格) 嚴謹自制沉穩
capacity, ability, talent(才幹) 決斷堅軔機敏
mood, emotions, spirits(情緒性) 耐性爽直
interpersonal relationship(人際關係) 寬和熱情
the way one conduct oneself in society (處世態度) 自信、淡泊

2Western personality (NEO personality inventory-revised (PI-R), Costa & McCrae, 1989) construct etc

extraversion 熱情(warmth)、合群愛交際(gregariousness)、自信(assertiveness)、活動性(activity)、追求興奮(excitement-seeking、積極情緒(positive emotions)  
agreeableness 信任(trust)、誠實坦誠(straightforwardness)、利他(altruism)、順從(compliance)、謙遜質樸(modesty)、溫和親切(tender-mindedness)  
conscientiousness 能力(competence)、秩序(order)、負責任(dutifulness)、追求成功(achievement striving)、自我控制(self discipline)、嚴謹深思熟慮(deliberation)  
neuroticism 焦慮(anxiety)、憤怒敵意(angry hostility)、抑鬱(depression)、自我意識(self-consciousness)、衝動(impulsiveness)、脆弱敏感(vulnerability)  
openness 幻想(fantasy)、美感(aesthetics)、情感豐富(feelings)、行動(actions)、觀念(ideas)、價值(values)  

details pls refer to the book

< DaJiYuan >  ( Epoch Times )  June 4, 2001

Chinese prefer cautious-behaved (experienced and prudent),  sentiments being expressed in a reserved way, well-disciplined type of person.

◎ Chinese spend most efforts on interpersonal relationship ―  trying to understand or/and guess  (suspect) others.

◎  Tolerance and patience are Chinese' skills for living and survival in hard and unfair environment. 

◎  Foreigners think Chinese are phony.  
    It's true Chinese are inconsistent  what they say with what they think, for protecting themselves from making troubles.

◎ In China, perfect education is "fewer mistakes" education, hence, students'd better follow orders,  and be more disciplined.

◎ Chinese usually don't criticize existed system, it's kind of Inertia or conservative view.

《Chinese Characteristies 》by  Arthur H.Smith

1. Face-valued
2. Economy
3. Industry
4. Politeness
5. The Disregard of time
6. The Disregard of Accuracy
7. The Talent for Misunderstanding
8. The talent for Indirection
9. Flexible Inflexibility
10. Intellectual Turbidity
11. The Absence of Nerves
12. Contempt for Foreigners
13. The Absence of Public Spirit
14. Conservation
15. Indifference to Comfort and Convenience
16. Physical Vitality
17. Patience and Perseverance
18. Content and Cheerfulness
19. Filial Piety
20. Benevolence
21. The Absence of Sympathy
22. Social Typhoons
23. Mutual Responsibility and Respect for Law
24. Mutual Suspicion
25. The Absence of Sincerity
26. Polytheism, Pantheism, Atheism

27. The Real Condition of China and her Present Needs  (this book was published in early year)

research on <Ugly Chinese>, by Li Ao (Taiwan), July 30, 1995

Intro. :
B
oth stereotypes are wrong   ―    "sinister Oriental " view by western people and "Ugly Chinese" by some Chinese (like BoYang).
Li Ao think some Chinese are excellent.

Ch. 27:
(1)  BoYang's best-selling book <Ugly Chinese> asserts Chinese cultural tradition ( culture's marinated in a mixture of lousy things)  resulted in Chinese national characterChinese national character resulted in ugly Chinese.
(2)  BoYang's major mistake is that he focused on culture, and ignored other factors like economy, environment and hard/good times may giving influence on Chinese national character and behavior, etc.

above are excerpt/extract, pls refer to Chinese version papers and books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Taiwanese personality,  characteristics/national character    
 

 

NY Times, 11-24-2020 says Taiwan's famous politician : “Taiwan can’t face the might of China alone", ”We can’t fight China on our own";  in spite of Economist, NY Times, and pro-Taiwan senator advised Taiwan not to rely on the US military to intervene ...; aljazeera, 11-24-2020 notes again:  the Pentagon has called Taiwan’s military spending “insufficient”, ... one of many concerns,  include how willing it may be to reform internally and also raise the number and quality of recruits ;  Economist,10-9-2020: Taiwan’s preparedness and its will to fight both look shaky.  NewsWeek, 10-28-2020: As China Threatens War, Nearly Everyone in Taiwan Wants Peace: Poll.   Taiwan's TV program about politics comments at 2021-5-1: Any political party advocating full conscription will loss election /  寰宇全視界.

 

Taiwanese people (including foreign citizens of Taiwanese/Chinese origin, Taiwanese Americans) may take lessons from local and foreign studies, news-reports, black-heart examples as below: 

< Disease and society ― Taiwan searches its conscience from experiences during SARS crisis>  ( <疫病與社會:台灣歷經SARS風暴之醫學與人文反省 >,
       author/
蔡甫昌、江宜樺(Taiwan's former Prime Minister) etc Publisher/ National Taiwan University, Medical School,  Sept. 2012 )

      We to certain degree may see Taiwanese personality through citizens' (governmental officials, legislators, medical field workers, countrymen, etc) reacting to SARS during that fatal period ...  (Pls ref. to the book and media during SARS , ps: SARS is severe acute respiratory syndrome) 
     

        ◎ Taiwanese people scared the fatal disease (SARS) and scrambled to  buy masks, however, business men took this opportunity to keep masks on warehouse and bull the market (forcing up price) for making exorbitant high profits, uncertain news pointed out some legislators (similar to Congressmen or Senators in the US) intervened/meddled in and tried to benefit themselves by using this national disaster or calamity ... all these led to insufficient supply of N95 masks, hence medical personnel and public health workers like M.D. and nurses in the front can not help but reuse their N95 masks ―  their lives therefore were in risk. (each N95 should be used for a short time, then needs to be replaced )
  ◎ Suspicious SARS infected people intentionally lied their past medical history (seeking medical advices in epidemic-area hospital) so that they will not be rejected by better hospitals, this led to an outbreak and SARS spreading, and endangering or harming medical workers.
  ◎ Taiwanese people don't abide by the principle of house quarantine ― some scholar just came back from Hong Kong suppose comply with house quarantine for 10 days, but this person went to school to teach lessons and then went overseas.
        ◎ Mayor took the lead to sabotage SARS patients' transfering to other hospital  ―  3 suspicious SARS patients were arranged by the Health government for hospital transfer,  but the destination's city Mayor, Chair of city council, councilors and many borough chiefs, gathering crowds blocked the street at front of the emergency room by vehicles and their bodies, and forced the ambulance back to original hospital,  this conflict won't be stop if this country's Minister of the Interior and 3 major political parties' representatives had not mediated this conflict and Taiwan's leader on Health did not promised SARS won't spread in that city.

       
◎  Many medical school students' parents scared SARS and ignored the situation that insufficient numbers of doctors confronting SARS,  hence, those parents pressed the government to pull 300 intern students out of hospital by reporting "something" to the Control Yuan that Educational government already neglected its duty.
        ◎ Some state hospital paused emergency and regular medical services (
門診), about 1/3 clinics there stopped their services by all kinds of "reasons" you can imagine.  124 nurses in a medical center in Southern Taiwan refused to take care of SARS patients and then resigned, some M.D.s also resigned for the same reason.
        ◎ Some medical center found hospital infection and  took "block & isolate " strategy, the next day more and more patients at ward escaped from that hospital, Taiwanese government received reports from all major medical centers in Northern, Central, Southern Taiwan, the hospital president,  and Infection Control directors concealed SARS outbreak within the hospital to avoid losing face, avoid dropping profit-performance, and/or avoid being sealed off the hospital,  this serious situations became major cause that Taiwan's SARS continued to spread larger and larger.     
        ◎
The work ethics, concealing SARS outbreak, delaying reporting to center government or rejecting SARS patients to avoid profiting worse are the most important reasons resulting in hospital onset of infection and spreading SARS from bad to worse in Taiwan. 
       
ps: Chinese version pls. ref. to the book or brief-text at end of this web-page

        ps2: For details, pls. click comment Taiwanese medical Doctors & hospitals


  Taiwan's image ―  weak outwardly,  strong at home !
      
Taiwan Coast Guard vessel did little (spraying weak water like a piss) to protect Taiwanese fishing boats (came for protecting Diaoyu Islands) from Japan Coast Guard ship's attacks by firing strong, long-distanced water cannon in Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands) event. 
         In contrast, Taiwan fired strong water cannon against weak students and civilians in Sun Flower event at 3-24-2014.

weak TW


 


Ranking No.1 on Google by "Taiwanese personality" in Chinese, July 20, 2015


Ranking No.1 on US Yahoo by "Taiwanese Personality" at 4-24-2015

 

 

pic. left: A large Japan Patrol ship was firing water cannon to Taiwanese fishing boat (left) and Taiwan Coast Guard vessel (middle). news photo in Apple Daily, 1-25-2013   pic. right: Taiwan police fired strong water cannon against weak students and civilians in Sun-Flower movement led by college students...  news photo in Liberty Times, 3-28-'14 (by 王藝菘)  


 

★  Are all Taiwanese obedient citizens "台灣只有順民?"   The Liberty Times, 1-4-2016

 

      Taipei city mayor Ko expressed Taiwanese have always been bullied and toyed, hence lost confidence and passion, Ko concluded that Taiwan only has obedient, docile citizens who surrendered to their "lord", because according to medical gene experiments, docile dogs mating give birth to docile dogs, those some of Taiwanese revolted, resisted or rebelled were all killed by their rulers, the rest of Taiwanese are docile citizens, their children or descendants are even more docile.

The New York times  9.8.2014: The authorities in Taiwan are scrambling to control a tainted-cooking-oil scandal that has affected hundreds of manufacturers and raised fears about health risks posed in many commonly consumed food items... the new scandal shows that there is still not enough being done to eliminate lawbreaking production lines,” ... 

The Liberty Times - Weekender  9.18.2015   Industrial bleaching agent, plumping agent with Aluminum, Industrial adhesives Maleic Acid,  Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate (CH3NaO3S) , Gypsum of pharmaceutic ,   corn starch, phosphatic, formaldehyde (HCHO), etc were used as foods addictives for better selling.  (for full details pls. ref. to Liberty Times)

Business Today.no.856, 2013 : not only banned colouring agent, copper chlorophyllin cooking oil, toxic ('poisonous') starch, dangerous levels of industrial plasticisers, poor-quality rice, deceptive advertising bakery ... were exposed in Taiwan media, but also dangerous materials/ingredients like hydrogen peroxide, Rongalite (Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate dihydrate 吊白塊  ) , Formaldehyde Solution(福馬林),  borax(硼砂) ,  salicylic acid (水楊酸), NaNO2   nitrite (亞硝酸),  fluorescent whitening/bleaching agent (螢光增白劑), copper salts (铜鹽), Sudan (蘇丹红), Butter Yellow(奶油黃),  Rhodamine B (鹽基桃紅精), Auramine (黃色色素鹽基性芥黃), H202 (過氧化氫), 4-ethoxyphenylurea(乙氧基苯脲), Lead oxide (氧化铅), potassium bromate;bromic acid potassium salt (溴酸钾) etc food additives were found in Taiwan's black-heart food and cuisine industries.

   CLICK for details or related topics:   Taiwan's travel , food scare ,  night-markets  ,  restaurants (Taiwanese cuisine)  


Bradley University survey WebMD report : " Who's No. 1 in Self-Esteem?"   

         A new international self-esteem survey (Sept. 27, 2005) puts  Japan at the bottom, and the U.S.(score 32.21 ) in sixth place, Taiwan (score 28.77 ) almost is in the last place. The results are due to appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

      Self-esteem scores were based on anonymous surveys given to nearly 17,000 people in 53 nations. The survey was translated into 28 languages.

     The 10 lowest-ranked nations are:   South Korea, Switzerland, Morocco,  Slovakia,  Fiji,  Taiwan,  Czech Republic,  Bangladesh,  Hong Kong, Japan.

 

  University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center,   "national honor" survey,  June 29, 2006

         A "sense of national honor" survey in 34 countries pointed out that Taiwanese overall ranking of the specific investigation is very behind (29 out of the world's 34 countries)

  "The exploration and analysis of Taiwanese personality" , National Normal University in ChangHwa on Taiwan, by Hsu C.J. &  professor advisor ZHANG, DE-RONG, 1992

       Conclusion ( in brief ) : Taiwanese personality most likely is utilitarian and traditional.
       ps: Baidu (China) : utilitarian
― snobby man, other definitions : believe utility value, useful function, etc

  "Look into Taiwan's national character" article in <the Liberty Times>
             (one of best-selling newspaper), 曹純

          Taiwanese personality had already seriously been distorted after having experienced 50 years' coercion and enslavement education by KMT (largest political party in Taiwan).
          1. Taiwanese have no back-bones and no longer prefer death (by pro. killing) to humiliation, Taiwanese would rather being raped or being brainwashed for small benefits.
          2.  Taiwanese don't make clear distinction between right and wrong,
          3.  Lacking of self-confidence,
          4.  Sense of Inferiority,           5.  Weak,
          6. Good part of Taiwanese character includes simple , moderate, compliant (
土直 、謙抑) etc.   http://talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/47359 Dec 10, 2005

 

 


Taiwanese personality
 

 

 

"Look through Taiwan's national character/personality", <Liberty Times>, 12.10.'05

  Ranking No.1 on Google by "Taiwanese national character" in Chinese at July 20, 2015

 

The book <The Ugly Side of Taiwanese>  ( author : G. Lee 李喬, published in 1988 & 1993, ... USA : 714-8631618)

   1.  Taiwanese people were conscious of being an orphan since China had abandoned this island after having lost a battle to Japan at 1894. 

          The Taiwanese prefer to be an orphan, and prefer to be under control  (being  indifferent to justice), and have no conscience to distinguish rightness from wrong.  

                 Taiwanese feel inferior, lowly, humble .... with guilty conscience ( They used to swallow insults and admit their 'guilt'... ) , are willing to be in inferior ranking status
                  Too many Taiwanese traitors betrayed and sold their own country people/folks
                  - or even frame and bring a false charge against innocent Taiwanese for their own benefits and better tomorrow.

     2.  In bribery Taiwanese believe.    The Taiwanese believe "money talks", and treat religion as trading or bribery, nothing to do with soul, spirits.

     3.  Taiwanese people are somebody indoors , nobody outdoors.  

     4.  Selfish,  Indifferent to public issues. 

     5.  Learnt no lessons from Taiwan's history

     6.  Taiwanese life style, career, and cultures are far from delicacy, creativity, and class
           ( Japan can, but Taiwan can't ! ).

     7.  Selfish (be worldly wise and play safe, not run risk for righteousness ), cruel or
          cold-bloodedly to other people's misfortune ( inhumanity/ not kindheartedness)...

     8.  Lousy work ethics (business morals) - to sacrifice others' health or even life.

 

Brief in Chinese

   The book < 台灣人的醜陋面 >  ( author : G. Lee  李喬, published in 1988 & 1993, etc)

          ( details ref publisher in USA : 714-8631618 )    

     1.   自甘做長不大的孤兒;  自卑感、罪惡感、認命、 曾為利害出賣(甚至設陷)同鄉
          
「現在」變形的孤兒意識仍然若隱若現。
 

     2.    欠缺宗教情操,信奉「賄賂一貫教」,視宗教為交換

     3.  台灣人太多「雞棲王」
           歷史上扭曲統治塑造的心性惡質,「現在」各級政治團體,社會群體生活中,大大小小成群

     4.   現在台灣人的諸多冷漠、不明敵我

     5.  台灣人跋涉過劫難的歷史,卻不能領悟多少「生存的智慧」... 無腦漿悲劇布偶任人擺佈,「滿街滿野」。 

     6.  台灣人因陋就簡生活風格不若日本精緻

     7.  殘酷自私,對他人不幸冷漠,不具現代人德性:

     8.  行業道德淪喪,欠缺可大可久的胸襟眼光

  ◎  Above is a brief, to avoid translation problem, pls. purchase the book  
       or refer to 
http://literature.ihakka.net/hakka/author/li_qiao/li_composition/li_onlin/culture/culture_2.htm

 

 

 

 Headline in head-page of <the United Daily News>, Sept. 3, 2009
        " Scholars' view : Taiwan's society   ―   Too irrational and too emotional ! "   

 



 



Ranking No.1 on Google
by "Taiwanese personality"  at 1-11-2015

    "Taiwanese community/society     Too irrational and too moody ! ", <United daily News> 9.3.2009

         ◎   Nov. 19, 2010 (A3) :  Although our media in front-line still have been investigating (Yang's disqualification in
                                                   Asian Games) and trying to find out the truth,
Taiwanese people in the rear already
                                                   flew into a fury for their national emotion ... 

         ◎ 
 May 15, 2010 :  Editorial in Chinese, theme:   : 全民公審了一名跆拳裁判之後
                            (
translation : "After Taiwanese people gave a cultural-revolution style public trial on a referee ")            
               
 §  Concerning public issues, Taiwanese people are too subjective and moody ...
               
 § Taiwanese Taekwondo association's penalty to Mr. ChengDa-wei is a political judgment for reasons :
                      (1) Taiwanese people's angers ( lost gold medal, etc )
                      (2) Athletics units are afraid of high-ranking official
                      (3)  Cheng Da-wei is "alone" in Taiwan
―  no connections
 ... 
        
◎   May 15, 2010 :  Editorial in English ―  "Punishing a Taekwondo referee" 
               
§  ...  This incident reflects growing populism in Taiwan and gives us a chance for self-reflection.
                    In recent years, discussions about public issues in Taiwan are usually dominated by emotional
                    and subjective rhetoric due to a fundamental political divergence.
                §  ... We wonder if, in a civilized society, it is tolerable to use the verdict of public critics to
                    punish a Taekwondo coach?
                § ... We strongly believe that now is the time for local society to conduct a deep examination
                    of its conceit and shallow culture. 
 
         
ref.  http://blog.ilc.edu.tw/blog/blog/572/post/9591/72288

 

  <the China Times>, 4-1-2018, public opinion
         "Taiwan's society   ―   Too irrational and superstitious ! "
         Taiwanese media one after another applied fortune-telling and rumor  to analyze or report  a probable crime case in the US by a TV star 狄鶯's son, besides, Taiwan's former president Chen also once contact a fortune teller aged 16 only about his legal case  ...  (brief)

 

  "Why are Taiwanese weak-kneed ?"  (Chinese title: 台灣人怎麼這麼沒種) ,
                <the Liberty Times>, Taiwan, Jan. 31, 2012 , "Political News edition".
          

The saying "Taiwanese have no spines/backbones"  has been talked about everywhere, e.g., before the presidential election, most Taiwanese understood the big gap between the rich and the poor in Taiwan is currently the most urgent problem to be solved, but, when voting moment came, Taiwanese did threw justice away, and only took" intimidation/ treat" card into consideration. (「恫嚇牌」)

...... a bunch of Taiwanese, as the words by which Japanese (name 後藤新平) humiliated Taiwanese, are "Money is everything/eager for money " and "not willing to run big risk for righteousness/justice, etc" (「怕死、愛錢」)...

Perhaps, Taiwan's national character from 400 years ago on, is exactly "dance with" whoever came to be their "boss", only minority did resist ...... Is this sort of slavishness/servility culture Taiwanese culture??...  http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/2012/specials/election/cont.php?nt=2&pt=96&type=a&no=557004


"Taiwan's national character", <the Liberty Times>, Nov. 17, 2013

brief: National character is the soul of a nation, Taiwan's soul is collapsing(加速崩解中), which is largest risk of Taiwan.... Taiwan's leaders in politics and business are liars and don't like to take any responsibility (e.g., in cooking oil scandal),  their character is so low and lousy... ( http://www.libertytimes.com.tw/2013/new/nov/17/today-p14.htm?Slots=BP)

<Study on Taiwanese character ─ By historical comparative approach>,  by Liao, Li Wei ,  2008

 Taiwanese people is utilitarian, superstitious, and likes fighting (struggle or conflict) by nature

 Taiwanese is down-to-earth (practical,  pragmatic, realistic), seeking instant benefits/success, willing to strive for better future. ... 

◎  Vulgar & collages

◎  New things best but won't last long

 Blindly obedient (conformity)

◎  Identity (value) disorder 

◎  Collective personality includes lacking self-confidence, uneasy, unstable and sad mood...


 Taiwan's social value  ―   news report concerning Taiwanese teen (under age) prostitutes

◎ <the China Times > Oct. 30, 2010 :  Taiwanese laugh at the poor, instead of prostitutes ...  that's Taiwan's social value.

◎ <Liberty Times > Oct. 30, 2010 :  The social value gives kids wrong concept, ...  education should let kids know ....  Money is not everything.

◎ <Apple Daily News > Oct. 30, 2010 :   Taiwanese teenagers' moral value weakened ....  we should rebuild our social value system.

<Radio Taiwan International >,  Dec. 3, 2008

Taiwan's president Ma hopes mainland Chinese people understand Taiwan's society through <Cape No.7>, Taiwan's all-time grossing film.

  <CNA>, April 29, 2012

(楊志良) Dr. C. L. Yang's latest book「台灣大崩壞」mentions Taiwanese people are short-sighted for money, for money's sake Taiwan's populist legislators ( status similar to Congressman ) influence gov. lacking of fairness and justice......

 

<Foreign Policy>,     1.29.2015     http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/29/taipeis-fiery-new-mayor-knows-whose-culture-is-best/

"Taipei’s Fiery New Mayor Knows Whose Culture Is Best"  -   Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je's opinion:

On Asian history and colonization:
For the [world’s] four Chinese-speaking regions — Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mainland China — the longer the colonization, the more advanced a place is. It’s rather embarrassing. Singapore is better than Hong Kong; Hong Kong is better than Taiwan; Taiwan is better than the mainland. I’m speaking in terms of culture.

"Taiwanese yield to reality" , <the China Times>, Nov. 15, 2013

 Taiwan's position to national identity is vacillating,  Wu Dong Ye (NCCU scholar): Taiwanese mentality condescend (yield to) reality. (泛中國人的比例從64%提升至67%,58%受訪者對國族認同立場反反覆覆表示諒解,說明台灣人屈就現實的心態。 )

"Chinese Wolf ", <Business Today 今周刊>, Sept. 5, 2013    http://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article-content-80396-102030

     According to a survey conducted by <Business Today>, Chinese career/working style (personality) just like the wolf (1. sharp sense to attack when opportunity comes, 2. very aggressive and sort "greedy" - get it as much as possible, don't let it go once hold it,  3. team-work to achieve the goal ), Taiwanese likes the sheep (mild, nice, attentive, yield, "溫良恭儉讓"). details pls. refer to the link above.


"100 big events in Taiwan's history" , book author: Lee S.F.  (ISBN 9578246250, 1999)

    "228" political event resulted in :

     ◎  Taiwanese personality had been seriously distorted.
    
◎  Taiwanese (under long-time colonial governance) were even more inferior than before, they tried every efforts to obey the rulers for self-preservation.
    
◎  Taiwanese feared, despaired and felt disappointed at politics.

  Decoding new generation's nature ...  <the China Times>6.11.2014  (解讀Z世代  網路養大  務實不受拘束)

        brief:  Youngsters participating in so-called Sun-flower Movement (2014) are "Z generation" (or "N generation"), they're cultured/cultivated/educated by internet world and have unconstrained/unregulated and practical/realistic/utilitarian nature.

  <Apple Daily News> Editorial , 11.11.2010

     Probably more than 1/3 of Taiwanese elites (high education and young & middle-aged people) prefer immigration,  only 13% of Japanese like to do so. (Gallop USA)   It's pretty sad for a country.

<the United Daily News>, June 5, 2014  (Living edition A6)
        1/3 Taiwanese feel unhappy according to a local survey. (MD suggests having Vitamin C, fruits/vegetables to help emotional stability)
 

< Reader's Digest > , July 25, 2007

A "honesty test" in last year  :  the test left behind 30 mid-priced mobile phones in 35 cities, and watched & called the phone number whenever someone picked up the phone, to see whether or not that person answered the phone-call and then return the mobile phone, or will pressed The default number to contact the owner. 

Generally speaking, Chinese society was not too honest in that test, Taipei and Singapore, both ranked 25th.  Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur ranked the last - 35th.

According to latest Reader's Digest test reported in Hong Kong that in a test conducted in 32 cities, Taipei (16 out of 30 people will return the phone) ranked 27th.       ( reported in Hong Kong & by Apple Daily News Taiwan )
    

  <Apple Daily News> Editorial , May 26, 2010

"China's characteristics in Taiwan's characteristics" : ...Taiwan's characteristics include China's characteristics  ―   which is short of enough modernization , that's a problem...

  <Apple Daily News> news report & Editorial , Oct. 6, 2011

 According to a survey by <Cheers>:  The purpose Taiwanese career people born from 1981 till 1990 work for is "life style" , which is different from "making a living" that most Taiwanese were,  besides, more than 64% define "success" as "leading a happy life", 38% as "owning money/richness" , more than 38% are not willing to compromise "life style" with "hard working "......

<Apple Daily news>, middle April, 2013
Taiwanese people are the ninth most honest hotel guests in the world, according to an industry survey (Among 28 countries and the region of Hong Kong ) by Hotels.com released in 2013, Denmark topped the list, followed by the Netherlands and Norway, China and USA are the 6th from the last in the survey.


<Washington Post> 2013/5/15
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/05/15/a-fascinating-map-of-the-worlds-most-and-least-racially-tolerant-countries/
According to the World Values Survey: A fascinating map of the world's most and least racially tolerant countries,
The percentage of that Taiwanese do not want a neighbor of a different race is between 5% and 9.9%.  Taiwan obtains quite high score. ( an astonishingly high 71.8 percent of Hong Kongers )

Taiwan's hope
Taiwan still has very top personality person, e.g., professor Ja-Liang Lin (director of Clinical Toxicology,
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital & medical University ) .  According to media reports, Dr. Lin does not accept any money and invitation for commercials/advertsiements, and an award (scholar prize) NT20,000,000 (about USD600,000), he by himself against officials in power (Taiwanese government) and super power's policy, etc.


<United Daily News>, head page & headline, Aug. 28, 2014

United Daily News survey center :
 
In Taiwanese "mature generation's" eye, "young generation" is creative (創新57.9%), but insatiable / greedy(73.9%)、irresponsible(68.5%)、lazy (懶散52.2%)、exclusiveness(排他58.5%).
 In "young generation's" eye, "mature generation" is
responsible(73.3%)、working hard (78%)、Content(知足61.1%)、tolerant/inclusive(包容51.6%), but too traditional(傳統69.2%).


Taiwan's personality

    July 22, 2007 :  One of Taiwan's political leaders ( the D.P.P. political party ) in D.C., USA described Taiwan as a dance hostess who gave service to ( shook body with ) whoever visiting guests came along...  ( reported by major media in Taiwan and red China - i.e., People.com )

    Oct. 19, 2004 :  The KMT ( also namely, the Chinese Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, or pan Blue ), Taiwan's one among 2 biggest political parties, mocked the DPP (pan Green), another major party, "suck Uncle Sam's dick", the DPP mocked the KMT "suck China's dick"...
     ( "suck one's dick" is sort of direct translation, which can be interpreted as "kiss one's ass" or adulation, etc )

Taiwanese image a farmer ?   (McDonald's ads.)

 

   
  Taiwanese image ? a farmer

 

    

 

   
ps1:  <疫病與社會:台灣歷經SARS風暴之醫學與人文反省>
         
SARS 期間,國人(官員,議員, 醫界,民眾)的反應,某種程度透露出台灣人的人格/性格/個性。
         請refer to書籍  <
疫病與社會:台灣歷經SARS風暴之醫學與人文反省> (作者:蔡甫昌、江宜樺等,  出版社:國立臺灣大學醫學院,  出版 :Sept. 2012)  與SARS期間報紙。

        民眾驚恐搶購口罩、商人趁機囤積口罩、哄抬價格牟取暴利,並傳有立委介入大發國難財 ,造成醫療用N95口罩供應不足,第一線醫護人員必須重複使用之,安全受威脅。
  疑似感染民眾就醫時害怕遭到拒絕、刻意隱匿其先前曾經至疫區醫院就醫之病史,造成疫情之擴散並危害到醫護人員。
  不遵守居家隔離  ― 某研究員自香港返回台灣,按照規定必須居家隔離十天,但該研究員沒有自我隔離,還到學校教書、隨後並出國。
        市長帶頭阻撓病患轉院  ―  衛生署將某醫院疑似染SARS的三名病患轉送到另一縣市署立醫院,遭其市長、議長、市議員以及該院週遭七個里的里長,率眾以車輛、肉身阻擋在醫院急診室前的通道上,要求病患原車北返。經內政部長、三黨民意代表斡旋、衛生署副署長保證疫情不會在該市擴散後,方解除這場抗爭。
       
許多醫學生家長因此害怕子女受疫情波及,不顧醫院人力嚴重不足的問題,向教育單位施壓要求將1,300位實習醫生撤出醫院,甚至直接向監察院檢舉教育部失職。某縣市署立醫院暫停門診、急診,該縣三分之一的診所紛紛以各種理由自行停業。南部某醫學中心一百二十四名護士因不願照顧SARS病患而選擇辭職,數位醫師提出辭呈。南部某醫學中心在發生院內感染後,採取「圍堵隔離、逐步封樓、只出不進」的策略,哪裡有SARS就封哪裡,翌日消息傳出後住院病患開始自動辦理出院,紛紛逃離醫院,行政院接獲北中南各大醫學中心醫師檢舉,醫院院長、感染管控主管為了醫院的面子、業績、怕被封院,在院內出現SARS疫情後多隱匿不報,情形嚴重成為疫情擴大主因。為了怕影響營運而隱匿疫情、延遲通報或拒收病患,其背後的經營哲學之倫理問題,是院內感染、疫情擴大最主要原因。......
       
ps: 
 SARS 期間,也有蠻多國人展現高貴情操。

 

 

 

  

  Dark sides of Taiwanese
conclusion
From studies above,
Can you find something in common between Taiwanese and Chinese .... ?  ( hopefully there're more papers open to the  public ?)  
Do you think which Taiwanese personality is/are needed to be changed soon? 

Both Taiwan's newspapers <United Daily> and <Liberty Times> have the same view : Taiwanese are not rational enough to distinguish rightness from wrong.

Taiwan needs strong medicine to cure its long-term & serious illness ―  corruption, freedom of press (expression), human rights problems so that some of Taiwanese personality won't be distorted anymore......

Hopefully this web-site indeed is one among best medicines.

This page focuses on negative side in order to push Taiwan's improvement.

refer to Chinese version  for exact, precise meanings (to avoid translation errors)

 


 

 
     
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PS

【古文觀止】清 薛福成:觀巴黎油畫記
  a remark in Chinese
                        ...余聞法人好勝,何以自繪敗狀,令人喪氣若此?譯者曰:
                              「所以昭炯戒,激眾憤,圖報復也。」則其意深長矣。