That's far too true, much of the time in most contexts with most Chinese. Avoid playing poker with them. LOL.
They are very practiced at being inscrutable. It could mean the difference between life & death--seriously.
They also deplore anyone being so uncouth as to display public anger. They see that as being "low-bred," low class.
I once saw a man on the street take up a broom stick and attack another bloke on the street--both on bikes. Both bikes horribly scratched all over with rusted surfaces. The attacker was enraged that the other bloke had dared to scratch his bike.
I can't imagine how he could detect or distinguish the new scratch. But somehow, face & respect required him to be enraged--even publicly--paradoxically violating the standard of not showing public anger and reveal one's self as low class. Maybe that both were low class & knew it was a factor.
And shockingly, in spite of decades of the "classless society," rank is still a huge issue in almost all contexts. I saw them once take about an hour and a half to jockey back & forth as to which official was going to be in the center, front row & then next to the center etc. in a group photograph. All the while, us lesser mortals just had to stand around looking patient.
Issues of saving face, power, rank, etc. are still huge in their culture & relationships. Significantly more so than in the west.
They are masters at perceiving & discerning very subtle body language of others, though.
They were shocked that I could almost match them on such perceptiveness. Most westerners can't.
They are also artists of the set-up. The big banquets are a set-up. They are softening the westerner up for being more successfully manipulated about more serious things.
They also love to use a westerner as an excuse to enjoy a big lavish feed at government expense.
I think Rudyard Kipling's comment (my paraphrase) that any westerner who thinks they can {easily, significantly or usually} out-fox the Asian is an idiot.
They have been playing such inscrutable relationship dynamic games as the main national blood sport for 7 thousand plus years. Their lives and the lives of their families usually depended on how well they played that blood sport.
“They are also artists of the set-up. The big banquets are a set-up. They are softening the westerner up for being more successfully manipulated about more serious things.”
Interesting and not surprising. My brother was treated royally and feasted at a huge dinner party that flowed with alcohol. He asked his host which party was better, this party or the CCP? The host laughed and showed him the CCP card. I wonder if he was laughing at brother. They tried to get him to start a nursery in China. Thankfully he did not. Any product they send over there they get very little if any royalty. If you don’t agree to their meager amount they will just propagate the plant anyway and give no royalty. But there appears to be many beautiful plants in China with production potential in US.
#756 thanks very much for that insight.