Editor's Note: One of our bloggers, MichaelM, shares some of the things he learned during his two years in China and explains why the West would do well to study them.

1. A huge majority of Chinese people are incredibly tolerant and patient.

There's no place where this is better revealed than in their driving habits. To honk your horn in traffic in China, you are simply letting others know where you are so that you avoid an accident. In the West, honking your horn is usually done out of anger for how the other person is driving. You hear of numerous cases of 'road rage' in the U.S. Americans are impatient and become easily angered while driving. Sometimes, in extreme situations, they become violent. And, since Americans are allowed to own guns, these situations can become quite deadly.

I think that there are several reasons why Chinese are so tolerant and patient. First, they have to share their space with a lot of other people. Second, I think it’s part of the Chinese culture to live more harmoniously with others. It seems to me that tolerance for others and patience is part of the mindset of Chinese people.

 

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