ThedifferencebetweenChinaandWesternWhatisculture?L.Beamer&I.Varnerremindedus,“Cultureisamentalsetofwindowsthroughwhichalloflifeisviewed.Itvariesfromindividualtoindividualwithinasociety,butitsharesimportantcharacteristicswithmembersofsociety.”Cultureiseverythingandeverywhere.Andmoreimportant,atleastforourpurposes,culturegovernsanddefinesinwhichpositiontheconditionsandcircumstancesveer.Simultaneously,incertainconditionsandcircumstanceslotsofinformationcanornotbenoticedorunderstood.Thatistooabstracttoreallyunderstand.Differentcountrieshavedifferenttraitsandcharacteristicsduetotheirdifferentgeographicalenvironments,differenthistoricalconditionsanddifferentlogicalthinking.Nocountriesandnationsarewithouttheircultures.Thecharacteristicsofanyculturecannotbeseparatedfromacertaingeographicalenvironment,eachkindofculturehasdifferentcharacteristicsduetothecharacteristicsoftheregion,climateandenvironment.Chinaisagreatsemi-closedcontinentalcountry,whichseaononesideandontheothertransportationthreesidesisextremelyinconvenient.Suchkindofnaturalenvironmentformastateofhalfisolationfromtheoutsideworld,andthecongenialhabitatandself-sufficientresourcehaveanessentialeffectoncharacteristicsofChinesetraditionalculture.Thehumanhabitatwastoocongenialtoproduceanoutward-looking,adventurous,sea-farmingculture.Theresultofthiscongenialityisapeacefulpeople,indulginginanuneventfullifeofthesimplerhythmicalpulseofnature.Atthesametime,self-sufficientfarmingculturecausedself-containedthatdevelopedsatisfactionandconservation.FarmingisthebasiceconomicmodefortheexistenceofChinesepeople.Theprematurityandrelativestabilityoftheagriculturalcivilizationnurturedthetraditionofharmonyandmaintainingequilibrium.TheharmoniousandstablelifemoldstheChinesepeople„characterofbeingcontentwithwhattheyareandwhattheyhave.Theytendtoleadasimpleandplacidlifecomparingwithggressiveness.Theyseemtobeabalancedexistence,neitherover-delight,norover-sorrowful,buttakecontrolofthemselveswithpersistence.Theyareskillfulofdealingwithinjusticeandcalamitywithtoleranceandhumor.Onthecontrary,theterritoryofeverywesterncountryisrelativelysmallareathatissurroundedbyseaandwherehavenoenoughnaturalresources.Westernpeoplewererestrictedtomovesothattheyhaveatendencytoexploretheseathatarepeaceful,friendly,andfullofchancesandlures.ThecradleofWesterncivilizationGreekwasexotericgeographicalenvironment,peoplestrugglingwiththehostilenature,theyhencecultivatedsuchkindofsciencetraditionthatpeoplewerefondofexploreandconquernature.Thatmakeswesterncultureshowsadvocatingthespiritofcompetitionandstrugglingasawhole.Therearesomanydimensionsonwhichculturesmaydiffer;humannaturecanbesaidasabasicdifference.InChina,peoplehaveacceptedthethoughtofConfuciuswhobelievedthehumannaturewasbasicallygood.Astheysaid,childrenarebelievedtobepureandinnocentbutmaybecomecorruptastheygrowolderandhavemorecontactwithsociety.Thedirectionofmoralchangesisfromgoodtobad.Becauseofthisdanger,itistheresponsibilityofthoseinauthorities,suchasparents,teachersandpoliticalleaders,whoprotectthemoralityundertheircare.Whensomechildrenwriteabouttheirmothers,fathers,teachersandhonoredhistoricalfigures,theytendtoidealizethem.ThetraditionalWesternbeliefabouthumannaturesisthathumansarebasicallyevil.WeseethisintheBiblestoryofAdamandEve.GodthrowthemoutoftheGardenofEdenbecausetheyatefruitfromtheTreeofKnowledge.Fromth...