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Observations about Taiwanese People

(that are taboo to talk about)

By Winston Wu

a Taiwanese American freethinker
(an oxymoron I know, but I’m a rare kind)

WWu777us@yahoo.com

 

“The only thing that counts for these people is food and making money...” - A Swiss woman who lived in Taiwan

 

Chinese version here (computer translated, not completely accurate)


Warning: These observations contains truths that are taboo and politically incorrect which may be offensive to the mainstream crowd which is accustomed to censorship rather than truth.

Intro and Disclaimer:

 

For some reason, every article and website out there about Taiwan is very polite, positive, politically correct and non-controversial. Other than a Swiss guy who also wrote a controversial article about Taiwan, I seem to be the only one that tells the accurate truth about it. Everyone else is too chickensh** to do so. This article and my Asian Mentality treatise are the only accurate assessments of Taiwan, according to several expats who are truth driven, on the whole web!

 

Why is that? Why am I the only one with guts? Why do people fear the truth? Why are they so programmed to be like the Travel Channel and say only polite noncontroversial things such as "Oh everything was so wonderful! The culture is amazing. The people were so friendly. The food was so good!" Etc. etc. Blah blah blah.

 

Why is truth often taboo, even when it's obviously?! What an insane world. Am I the only sane person left?

 

No one has the courage to be honest anymore, cause the mainstream world is all about CENSORSHIP, CENSORSHIP, CENSORSHIP! You are only allowed to say and think what you are programmed to, not the way things ACTUALLY ARE. How sad.

 

So here it is. One of the few (or only) articles about Taiwan that is truthful and accurate.


These are the patterns and tendencies I've consistently observed in Taiwanese people in general.  They do not apply to every Taiwanese individual of course, since there are always individual variations in any group.  But they are CONSISTENT patterns I've seen in Taiwanese people. If you've ever wondered why many Chinese and Taiwanese you see are timid, shy, inhibited, robotic, unsmiling, and look very stern, serious and solemn, this will help explain why.

 

Note: Please do not accuse me of generalizing. Over 99 percent of Taiwanese people are pure conformists and followers who strive to be ALIKE, not different. Therefore, it is logical and accurate to generalize them since they already “generalize themselves” by conforming to set societal standards.

 

Note: If you wish to show this article to Chinese people who don't read English, here is a computer translated version in Chinese by Google Translator, but it is not completely accurate.

 

Observations (sorted in ascending order, with newest on top):

 

- Taiwanese have a repressed look on their face, and an introverted, cold, strict, stuck up expression. They appear very closed in personality and social attitude, and act overly serious and inhibited. If you look in their eyes, you see a miserable repressed inner state of anxiety. This is apparent all over Taiwan. If you are antisocial, closed, cold and stuck up yourself, you may not notice it (since you are the same as them and will see nothing abnormal about it). But if you are outgoing, open, direct, relaxed and extroverted, you will notice it for sure for it will strongly contrast the way you are.

 

- Being in Taiwan feels like a sci fi horror movie. I feel like a normal human in a society of people who have been genetically and artificially altered into zombies by some evil computer or rulers. Definitely a Twilight Zone experience. That's because Taiwanese do not act natural, but are cold, repressed and inhibited to an abnormal degree. This is not just about being snobby or stuck up. It's about EXTREME suppression and repression, either by upbringing or the general "Memes" of their culture and hive mentality.

 

- Taiwanese are completely driven by fear and guilt. It's in their vibes and face to the nth degree, and will rub off on you if you are around them long. They are conditioned to be weak and insecure. Inside they are empty and miserable. These are the traits that drive them to be conformists and workaholics. Living in fear, weakness and having no identity, they badly need something to conform to and a structure in their lives for security and safety.

 

This is why so many of them are workaholics and often work 7 days a week. It's not just because they like to make money. That is just their excuse, for even wealthy retired Taiwanese are still workaholics. It's because working all the time gives their fearful empty selves some structure to conform to, which brings them a sense of safety and security. That's what makes them such willing slaves, and those who run the country love it. That's what drives Taiwanese to seek fixed structures and routines, as well as bondage and servitude. Their minds are not free at all, and neither are their lives. They don't want to be free. Freedom brings insecurity and loss of identity to the Taiwanese. Eric Fromm's "Escape from Freedom" treatise describes the Taiwanese psyche very well.

 

- On the surface, Taiwanese appear very shy, especially young women. But that shyness is just a symptom, not the root cause of people being difficult to meet in Taiwan. For instance, there are many shy sweet innocent girls in the Philippines too. But they are also relaxed and open, and enthusiastic about meeting new people. And they are NOT hard to meet at all. That is an important difference. You see, at the root, the Taiwanese psyche is fundamentally FEARFUL, CLOSED and NARROW. It's in their nature and difficult for them to overcome, unless they live abroad. That's why they are so socially closed, and can't meet people unless they are introduced by mutual friends, or through connecting activities and routines like school and work. Thus they are socially conservative and somewhat "nerdy".

 

And that's why Taiwanese girls in particular, are like deer and spook easily. They are the most frightened creatures on Earth, and have a fearful closed body language which is easily observable. They have no social skills, no confidence, and are the exact opposite of open and direct. They cannot deal with anything outside of their realm of familiarity and routine. These words may sound unkind or judgmental, but that is the obvious truth.

 

- In Taiwan, the friendliest people who smile and talk to strangers are elderly/senior citizens and children. Young adults on the other hand, are more cold and limit their social interactions to small cliques. One reason for this is that during the days of the older generation, (1940's, 50's and 60's) people were much poorer and were more open, friendly and communal. Neighbors were close knit and shared their lives. But as Taiwan got richer, people became more isolated, anti-social, cliquish, closed, selfish, less hospitable and less friendly, which is what usually happens when a country becomes more economically prosperous. As a result, rates of loneliness and isolation rise up. This is a taboo truth that people know deep down but are afraid to admit or are in denial of for some reason.

 

- Ironically, though the young generation of Taiwan considers itself to be more open, progressive and educated than the older generation, the reality is that young people in Taiwan do NOT smile or talk to strangers much, while the elderly/senior citizens of Taiwan are much more likely to smile and talk to strangers. It's a classic discrepancy between image/pride vs. reality.

 

- If you've never been outside America or Taiwan, or if you've only been to Taiwan and America, the two countries will seem like different worlds at first glance. However, when you spend a lot of time in super warm open cultures with high social energy, such as Russia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia and the Philippines, you suddenly realize that Taiwan and America are a lot more similar than you thought. Both cultures are workaholic, cliquish, puritannical in its values, unpassionate, isolated, and with little or no social energy and vibe (at least compared to high social energy countries like the aforementioned).

 

- There is NO social energy at all in Taiwan, at least not compared to the social energy in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe and Russia etc. All there is to do there is work, work, work. If that's not exciting to you, you will eventually be bored, deflated and perhaps depressed in Taiwan. People are essentially workaholic robots who are simple, narrow, closed, and have a cold exterior. This is very plainly obvious. But most do not dare admit it, because one is supposed to only say positive things about other cultures, and that people are friendly everywhere they go, just like the Travel Channel does. Very few tell the truth as it plainly is. Most people say only what they are programmed to. I am one of the exceptions.

 

- In Taiwan, you're almost "forced" to be shy and inhibited in a sense. It's hard to be outgoing because it just goes so much against the flow and thus feels inappropriate and improper. This is a bit difficult to explain. You gotta experience it to know what I mean. Basically, a really outgoing person will feel suppressed in Taiwan, like who they are has been tied down. Kind of like what Kryptonite does to Superman. This is especially the case if you are flirtatious with women, which in Taiwan are the most reserved and shy. Simply put, when everyone around you is very shy, reserved and inhibited, you feel like you have to follow suit, or else you'll be out of place, and I mean REALLY out of place, to the point that it creeps you and others out.

 

- Taiwanese have a very cold exterior. They may be good, kind and caring on the inside, true, but their exterior is definitely cold, stoic, stern, grim. They do not make eye contact with strangers, or smile or say hi, especially the females. Elderly people sometimes smile at strangers, but young women, no way! This is a very obvious fact. But most do not dare admit it publicly because it is not politically correct to acknowledge this fact.

 

- One interesting difference between Taiwan and America is that in America, people can easily chat with a stranger, but do not easily invite them into their personal life or home. But in Taiwan, people do not chat with strangers easily, but if they get to know you, they will welcome you generously into their home and personal life. So comparatively, Taiwanese are colder on the outside but warmer on the inside, while Americans are warmer on the outside but colder on the inside.

 

- To those who argue that Taiwan is "open and friendly" out of their pride and hippie mentality, here is an interesting logic puzzle for you. Statistics show that America has the highest rates of mental illness, loneliness and isolation in the industrialized world. Many on my site and forum attest to this too. Yet, Taiwanese commonly see America as being more "open, expressive, outgoing and friendly" than their country is. And they describe American friendships as "easy come, easy go". Now, if America is the loneliest, or one of the loneliest, countries in the world, and Taiwanese consider themselves LESS friendly and open than Americans, then where does that rank Taiwan? Below the "loneliest country in the world" into the negative or minus range??? Ponder that one! Gotcha! :)

 

- Taiwanese are workaholics and work 6 or 7 days a week, often with long hours til late evening. To them, this is normal and an honor. But in reality, they are giving away 80 to 90 percent of their lives in slavery rather than freedom or fulfilling rich meaningful experiences. But to them, the money they make justifies the complete loss of freedom and the priceless 80 to 90 percent of their lives. To me, it is sick and shallow, but that is their culture. That being said, you will not fit in Taiwan unless you’re a workaholic. If you’re not, there is no point in being in Taiwan.

 

That is why you find many Taiwanese immigrants and workers in Silicon Valley, California. Silicon Valley has a workaholic culture too, and since Taiwanese are workaholics, they are drawn there to give up their lives to work, work, work with little or no fun or pleasure or freedom. It’s sickening. But that’s them.

 

- Deep down, the Taiwanese mind and soul does not believe that life should be enjoyed, but should be suffered and toiled. Hence they lack an inability to truly enjoy life. This is why they seem so inhibited. It’s both in their genes and culture, and probably some of Confucius’ teachings had something to do with it too. Enjoying life and having fun makes them feel guilty.  When they rest or go on vacation, they make sure that it is only for short and brief periods, cause too long causes guilt and anxiety. 

 

This is why even wealthy Taiwanese people prefer to continue to work, even when they don’t have to, rather than enjoying their life or traveling the world. They simply can’t enjoy anything else and feel empty without laboring and toiling. And this is why on Christmas Day you will still find most Chinese restaurants to still be open.

 

- In Taiwanese culture, only two things are important – MAKING MONEY and FOOD.  Now there's nothing wrong with those things since they are a part of life, but if all your interests are limited to ONLY those two things, then you become narrow, one dimensional, and no fun to be with.  And unfortunately, that’s how many Taiwanese people are.  That's why the Night Market in Taiwan is mostly composed of FOOD, cause when they go out at night, it's to look for food, not fun (as if there were nothing to do at night except look for food, what about fun, sex, adventure, and social interaction?)  Sheesh.  It's a narrow one-dimensional existence, especially if you are coming from a more open broad minded existence. 

In a Swiss article, a Swiss woman who lived in Taiwan for a long time said: “the only thing that counts for these people is food and making money. Love and sex are not important. If somebody says ‘I love you’, then it means nothing, but if he gives you a big piece of his meat then you know you are important for him.” (http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!kcaOWSSBCRs3xvlMOSGhtKgRy.kLITfv/article?mid=1130) In the same article, a Taiwanese woman interviewed said, "Many people don’t work till 10 pm because they have to, but because of inner emptiness. They dream to have earned to retire at the age of 50, and when they reached it they die of boredom."  How true and sad. 

- In Taiwan, being prudish, closed and narrow is the NORM.  Not being prudish, closed or narrow is considered abnormal and freakish.  In that sense, openness and broadness is suppressed and thus indirectly discouraged.  To me, that’s bizarre.  The prudishness of the Taiwanese population is undeniable and as obvious as the blue sky, at least on the exterior, from any cursory glance.  It’s in their vibe, body language, facial expression, everything, etc.  Only politically correct fanatics and prudes themselves (who see prudishness as normal) deny it.  But of course, you aren’t supposed to complain or mention any of this, for each country considers its ways to be “the norm” and expects its residents and visitors to either conform to it or respect it.

 

- Though Taiwanese are good natured people, caring and sensitive deep down beneath their closed narrow exterior, unfortunately they can be a negative influence.  This is because they are extremely fearful and weak deep down (conditioned to be that way by their culture and family), lacking any true confidence, and so if you hang around them too much it can rub off on you, making you weak and fearful as well.  In the big picture that is not a good thing, because that is how the elite controls the population, by segregating the population and conditioning them to live in fear.


- Taiwanese are an odd blend of traits.  Deep down, their basic nature is gentle, kind, generous, sensitive, caring, good natured, humble and moralistic. But they are also cold, strict, controlling, tense, high strung, quick to anger, narrow, closed-minded, non-expressive, uptight, strict, stern, solemn, rigid, fearful, and introverted.

 

- Beneath their closed exterior, Taiwanese and Chinese women deep down have a caring sensitive nature, as well as a delicacy in their touch that females of other races, especially white, do NOT have.

- Taiwanese use NEGATIVE reinforcement to condition people, usually by instilling FEAR, GUILT and WEAKNESS in them. This is how Taiwanese parents usually are with their children. They use fear, guilt and scorn to motivate you.  They actually believe that making you feel SMALL, WEAK and GUILTY helps improve you and makes you perform better!  No kidding!  It’s kind of demented, sick and twisted, of course, but that’s their philosophy, method and style. It's not deliberate, but a part of their inner personality, probably instinctual on some level.  They themselves are weak and fearful deep down and were raised that way, so they try to transfer it to others.

 

- Taiwanese parents teach their offspring to FEAR their enemies rather than be strong and stand up to them. In other words, they teach that one should yield rather than fight or stand their ground. They instill the fear of consequences in you, and warn you of terrible things that will happen to you if you fight your adversaries, so you best yield or compromise to them. Simply put, they teach weakness rather than strength, and fear rather than courage. That's not good for many reasons, but that's what they do. Not only do they do that with your enemies, but with ANYONE you come into conflict with, even when you are in the RIGHT! It's like they always take the other side and side AGAINST their own! That's crazy and simply wrong and makes no logical sense!


- Taiwanese people, like most in Asia, are strict followers and conformists.  They live in a collectivist culture where independent thinking is not valued or encouraged.  To them, nothing but the established order of things exists.  So don’t expect them to think outside the box.  They can't imagine being any different.  Thus they are most comfortable in routines - eating, rising and sleeping at the same time each day.  Their minds are rigid cause deep down they believe that the purpose of existence is to stick to routines while taking care of practical needs. 

- In public, Taiwanese people are extremely prudish, at least on the surface, so much in fact that they are proud of it.  Even the friendly people there have a prudish vibe, body language and demeanor.  So much in fact, that anyone who is NOT prudish is a strange misfit there.  That is just really bizarre and creepy, that being “ice cold” is the norm.  Ick.


-  Taiwanese people live in FEAR, are controlled by FEAR, and transfer the FEAR in them to their children as well.  It's in their facial expressions, body language and personal vibes.  People who are controlled and motivated by fear exude a certain type of vibes that you can sense if you're sensitive to energies and auras.  I sense it all the time and it makes me uncomfortable because I refuse to live in fear.  But be around it long enough, and it rubs off on you.

Next time you're out in public or around Taiwanese people, watch their facial expressions and body language carefully.  Or watch Taiwanese actors or news commentators on YouTube or TV.  You will notice in their expressions that these people were raised, shaped and conditioned by FEAR.  It becomes painfully obvious after some observation.

They also TRANSFER this fear and guilt within them to their children.  Next time you see a parent scolding his/her child, watch both their faces and tone of voice.  You will notice that during the scolding, there is a TRANSFERENCE of fear from the parent to the child.  With a hypnotic gaze and voice, the parent INJECTS the child with the FEAR inside them, along with GUILT for misbehaving or being out of line.  That is classic Chinese style conditioning.  You can feel and sense this in the parent's voice as he/she is scolding or lecturing their child.  FEAR is their primary motivator and GUILT is the consequence. 

Taiwanese parents do not consciously choose to do this or rationally think it out.  It’s mostly unconscious, like an instinctual habit that was passed on to them by their parents.  It may even be genetic since it's so inherent and widespread among the Chinese population.  Sadly though, they will even do this over trivial things, and you have to remember that the Chinese nature is highly picky and judgmental about little things.

I too was raised with fear/guilt instilling tactics like this, but I saw it for what it was and diffused it.  Through traveling and spiritual exploration, my natural self came out as my mind became liberated.  I learned to assert myself, be confident, have faith in the universe, and live in optimism, not fear or guilt.  In effect, I've transcended this outdated and primitive form of mind control by the Taiwanese, the Christian Church and the Military.

Psychologically, they FEAR that if they aren't disciplined, organized and controlled, then chaos and evil will erupt, leading to the downfall of society as well as life itself.  FEAR keeps them in line, and so it's useful, and they then in turn use FEAR to control their own children as well.

To make things worse, they also tend to be WORRYWARTS as well.  Their parents constantly worry about every little thing and are very apprehensive.  That of course, reinforces the FEAR that they already live under, since worry and fear perpetuates each other in a vicious cycle.

- In Taiwanese and classic Chinese conditioning, CONFIDENCE and ASSERTIVENESS are NOT valued or encouraged at all.  People who are confident are harder to control, for they do not live in fear, and fear as you know, is the best control mechanism of a population.  And assertiveness is a threat to authority, and therefore not good for orderly control and hierarchy.  Instead, the primary traits instilled in classic Chinese conditioning are weakness, humility, obedience, practicality and filial piety.

 

- They also have no inner confidence or faith, but are weak and fearful deep down, thus they get offended and annoyed easily.  When mad or insulted, they can erupt in a rage of fury.  Watch the news, and you will see that their political commentators yell in a rage of fury all the time, as though it were their standard way of talking.  It seems that there is a mixture of gentleness and intensity within them.


- Generally, Taiwanese are practical, narrow and emotional, but not logical or rational.  They think only in terms of PRACTICAL things.  That's why conversations with them are not very broad or intellectual in scope.  They are not used to intellectualizing over concepts and thus if you try that with them, you run into a dead wall, especially with the younger crowd. The older crowd have a better chance of being philosophical than the younger crowd does. In fact, the young crowd in Taiwan do not even use the word “spiritual” in their vocabulary, I’m told.

 

- They aren't knowledgeable about many topics and can't hold conversations beyond practical things. To them, only practical things matter, like work, money, shelter, food, etc.  Deep subjects like Buddhism, Taoism, Eastern Philosophy, the Analects of Confucius, etc. are for monks, philosophers, and old retired people contemplating the meaning of their lives and where they will go next.  Young people should only be concerned with practical things and necessities.

- Since they see only surface practicalities, and their minds are designed to conform and follow, they cannot think for themselves, or analyze and critique a system, idea or philosophy.  For example, they like telling you whether they think you're more fat or skinny than before.  But they can't open up the Bible or Communist Manifesto or read Sigmund Freud's theories and find contradictions, flaws or fallacies in them.  Nor can they critique a theory or argument point by point, or analyze something deeply.  This is because such things requires thinking outside the box and critical examination.  But they are trained (and perhaps genetically inclined) to be followers who conform and think within a narrow spectrum.  Plus they find intellectual, abstract or philosophical things to be useless and idle, and of no use in a practical world.  If you attempt to discuss such things with them, they can only say "Oh ok" or "Oh really" or even "That's useless, why think about it?".

- If you tell a typical Taiwanese person something that is outside the box, unconventional, or critiques the system, they can only say "oh ok" or "oh really" and not much else because their brains can't really process something that's outside the box.  All they can do is be polite at your attempt to share your ideas with them even though it's beyond them.


- From birth, they are taught that life is VERY serious.  One is not to smile or be bubbly.  One must be stern, solemn, reserved, humble, modest and work hard and diligently.  That is how a good citizen behaves.  Your opinions don't count, so don't bother expressing them.  Only your conformity and work ethic matter and define you as a person.  A good person follows and conforms, a bad person doesn't. 

- People don't smile much, unless they are joking with their friends, paid to smile (e.g. customer service), or want you to buy something.  The most genuine smiles you will see in Taiwan come from older folks (over 40 or 50), probably because they've learned to loosen up by then and also cause their generation was poorer and more friendlyBut young adults, no way.  They are taught to be stern and solemn and they obey that.  Hence you see a strict uptight attitude on their face and demeanor, rather than an open relaxed one like you would in more open cultures.  They believe that one should not do whatever they want, or else chaos will erupt, society will go downhill, and your life will self-destruct without strict control and discipline.  Fear keeps you in line, so it's good for you.

 

- Even though Taiwanese students study many hours of the day, in both their primary school and after school private classes (bu shi ban), they don’t seem to know much. This is because they do not study for the love of learning, nor are they taught how to think.  They study only to memorize data to pass tests, and then afterward flush the data out of memory.  So their heart is not really in it.  They are motivated by fear and the hope of raising their status through academic achievement.

 

- The issue of whether Taiwanese people are generally friendly or not is subjective, as each person has their own standards of what “friendliness” is.  I would say that Taiwanese people are only friendly in their own way, in a “closed, tight, rigid” manner within their inhibitions.  But they are not friendly in an open, carefree, free-flowing, expressive way.  It’s not in their nature.  This is difficult to explain in words, as you’d have to observe them on a regular basis to see what I mean.  Most are polite and kind deep down. But they do not talk to strangers, only to people in their family, cliques and those they know at school or work. Strangers are basically ignored. One is expected not to pursue a social life, but only work, work and work.

- For people like me who are open, direct, assertive, open/broad minded, freethinking, intellectual, and confident, Taiwan is an awkward place where we can't "be ourselves" or breath freely.  All our traits are in direct contradiction with the characteristics of the collective in Taiwan.  Thus we feel out of place and suffocated in Taiwan, as we cannot be who we truly are.  Put simply, Taiwanese culture and society are not a fertile ground for those of my type to "grow and blossom".

- Like America, Taiwanese "live to work" and see themselves as having no value without a job.  They are taught that the object of life is to work long and hard so that they can have a comfortable old age without worrying about money.  They do not live to enjoy life.  If you think about it from a larger perspective though, it is an awful waste of life and doesn't make sense.  Why waste 3/4 of your life just so you can live comfortably without worrying about money for 1/4 of your life?  What a raw deal!  It's obviously a system of slavery totally motivated by fear - the fear of reaching old age without money - in order to keep you enslaved for 3/4 of your life.  But of course, Taiwanese do not usually critique or challenge what their society or culture teaches as the established order of things.  Instead, they FOLLOW, OBEY and CONFORM.  And even if they disagree with "the system", they do not dare voice their thoughts, as they are conditioned to be weak, timid and live in fear.

Being a workaholic is virtuous to them.  It's not uncommon for Taiwanese to work 7 days a week.  Even if they can take days off, they don't because they see taking days off as losing money.  Without a job you are nothing.  They revel in the wage slave routine and do not suffer in it.  In fact, they suffer more when they don't work than when they do.  They feel that they were not born to be free, but to work hard, obey and conform.  Once in a while, they take a vacation, but they make sure it's short, controlled and doesn't get out of hand.


- When Taiwanese talk about freedom, they usually refer to political and nationalistic freedom from Mainland China, not personal freedom from conforming to society, being a slave to work, or freedom to do whatever you want.  No way. That would be unthinkable. Since they want to work, work does not take away their freedom in their view. To them, too much freedom in your daily life is bad and results in chaos and the downfall of society.  Control and strict rules are needed to keep things in stable order.  Thinking for yourself is not good either, but in fact dangerous to the stability and order of society. 

- Young girls in Taiwan are not just shy. They are shy to such an extreme degree that it goes OFF THE CHARTS, to the point where it’s almost inhuman and unnatural. When someone is that shy, you feel like a creep for even talking to them. When young Taiwanese girls talk amongst each other, the tone of their voice and the way they carry themselves is extremely prissy, giggly, fake, catty, plastic and totally the opposite of “down to earth”.  If you see it regularly, you’ll know what I mean.  They also act very fragile, as if touching them will shatter them to pieces.  It’s the personification of prudishness off the charts.


- Since they are taught to be humble and quiet, not surprisingly they are not usually assertive.  Thus, their communication skills are short and abrupt, not articulate or skillful at conveying meanings and details.  This can lead to misunderstandings with people who prefer things to be well defined and specific, like me.  This is why people in Asian commonly give bad directions. They can’t articulate well so they prefer to point to a general direction rather than give step by step directions with street names.

- Typically, within families the older generation Taiwanese act like are yelling and arguing as if it were a normal part of their conversation.  It’s very odd, like they have deep anger and intensity that needs to be released in such a manner.  So either they are quiet and humble, or talk like they are fighting in casual situations.  This style of interacting is not logical, but instinctive and serves no purpose. Of course they don’t see that because their nature is to follow what they’ve always done, not to seek ways to improve and change. 

- They are also taught to FEAR strangers and be paranoid of them, which is ironic because Taiwan is virtually crime free and most people are law abiding.  But nevertheless, they are told by the media that talking to strangers is dangerous, so you should never trust anyone.  I laugh at this, because Taiwan is one of the safest and most orderly countries in the world, and these folks have never experienced real danger and chaos before.

That is one reason why young adults in Taiwan ignore strangers, do not make eye contact, and form an ice barrier in public with people they don't know.  Another is because their society and culture are fundamentally CLOSED and RIGID in nature, which they see as good things.  They do not speak with strangers unless properly introduced by a mutual friend, unless it’s business related.  The older folks are more likely to be warm and friendly because they've learned to loosen up over the years and let go of all that strictness inside of them.

- They are NOT taught to be self-confident, assertive, courageous, or to have faith in themselves or life.  Instead, they are taught to be weak, afraid, timid, reserved and humble.  They are made dependent on guidance, correction and control.  To them, confidence and assertiveness are not virtues, but meekness and filial piety are.  In addition, they are often ridiculed and verbally abused by their parents, just for the heck of it.  And when that happens, they are to take it without resistance.

- If you are a guy who likes meeting beautiful women, there are many stunning lookers in Taiwan. However, there are three BIG things going against you. 1) Taiwanese girls by nature are very shy and introverted off the charts. 2) They are taught by their family and the media that talking to strangers is dangerous and to FEAR strangers. 3) They tend to be pure conformists and will therefore conform to 1 and 2 rather than defy them.  The only socially acceptable way to meet them is either through a) mutual introductions through friends, b) mutual organizational activities (school, work), or c) through the internet. There are exceptions of course, and some do meet them coldly, but these are exceptions, not the norm, and such actions put one “out on a limb”.

 

- Out in public, most Taiwanese women wear this "don't bother me" mask on their face, which is also in their body language and vibe.  Thus, even the bravest guy feels uncomfortable about approaching them cold.  That's because doing so feels illegal and creepy.  So far, every guy who has claimed that Taiwanese girls are open and friendly to strangers has FAILED and chickened out when I ask them to approach Taiwanese girls in public.  Though they deny it verbally, deep down they know it's inappropriate and socially unacceptable in Taiwan to chat up girls cold, unless you need directions of course.  I've never understood why so many people out there deny the obvious. Some like to play devil’s advocate I suppose.

- Taiwan is like a monastery. It is clean, organized, gentle and solemn.  People are serious and stern and do not have much fun or enjoy life to the fullest. Their behavior is highly restrained, inhibited and reserved.  They do not "let loose" or get wild.  They are either quiet and solemn or they yell hysterically.  If you look at their faces, you will see nothing but "strict control".  Don't expect an exciting life in Taiwan

- Taiwanese women are very commitment oriented. They do not date for fun or thrills, but purely for the goal of marriage.  They thrive on commitment and rigid routine, NOT adventure, thrills, excitement, variety or imagination.  In short, they are extremely boring compared to other foreign women I've experienced.  Also, with their purely practical mindset, don't expect much creativity, imagination or philosophical insights from them.

- They are taught that being "open minded" is not a good thing either, for being too open can allow too many conflicting ideas to enter your head and confuse you, resulting in chaos, disorder and lack of discipline and control.  So, one should be closed minded, and rigidly stick to the set ways that lead to success, like being practical, humble and working diligently to please others.  It's a military style philosophy.

- Like the Christian fundamentalists, they believe that human nature is inherently evil and idle, and thus needs to be strictly controlled.  "With too much time on your hands, the devil causes you to do mischief" so the saying goes.  They believe that people need to be controlled and disciplined until they become hard working obedient humble people who are kept in line.  And of course, they need to live in fear.  Fear is seen as a good thing.  It keeps people righteous and disciplined.  Likewise, Christians also live in fear of divine punishment and hell.  The church leaders see this as a good thing.  There's a verse in the Book of Proverbs that says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Proverbs 9:10)  That's why many Taiwanese people convert easily into Evangelical Christianity.  It contains all the inherent facets they were raised and conditioned with - black and white morality/thinking, strict control of human nature, fear as a disciplinary tool, strive for righteousness, condemnation of those who believe differently than you, a highly judgmental mentality, the inherent sinful nature of man, negative view of freedom and too much free time, puritannical values, etc.
 
- Ironically, even though Buddhism is supposed to be an Eastern religion, Taiwanese people do not have a Buddhist mentality at all.  Most are nothing like "Kwai Chang Caine" (David Carradine in Kung Fu).  They have a highly materialistic mentality coupled with a strict black and white Christian style morality, rigid thinking, righteousness, judgmental mindset, and live in fear and are controlled by it.  They also have short fuses and get annoyed or angry quite easily (remember how easily pissed and angry Bruce Lee got in his films, that's how he was in real life too)  Plus, contrary to the Buddhist concept of being nonjudgmental and nonattached, they are highly judgmental, controlling and picky about little things.

- Chinese people are commonly very picky and judgmental about little things, "anal retentive" in other words.  It seems to be in their nature.  This can be good for quality control and is one reason why Chinese food is so delicious and among the best in the world.  But it's bad for human relations.  This is why Chinese people often argue with each and sour their relations, even with relatives and close friends.  They tend to make a big deal out of nothing.  Their controlling nature is adamant about getting their way, and they lack people skills as well as the ability to compromise.  Being highly tense, they are not at peace or at one with nature or the universe.  As a result, Chinese couples tend to argue about little things over and over again, often for years without end.  It's highly irrational of course, but this is the behavior of those who are petty, uptight and anal retentive.  People who are closed minded, anal, rigid and judgmental will have trouble getting along even with their own kind, while open minded nonjudgmental types are much better at getting along without fussing over trivial things.  The latter are more tolerant and usually have far better people skills and communication skills.

- Most Taiwanese families are very rigid in their routines.  They go to bed and rise at the same time each day, even on weekends, and eat at the same time each day.  They will never eat dinner in front of the TV like some American families do.  Everything is set in a highly structured routine.  There is little or no variety in their lives.  But they like it that way.  They thrive on rigid routines, and are squarer than a table.

 

Conclusion:

 

Although there are individual variations and exceptions to the rule, in general Taiwanese people and culture in general is narrow, conservative, prudish and square.  Only two things matter to them, food and making money, making them very one-dimensional and no fun.  They do not live to enjoy life, but to be workaholics and are empty without work.  They are also among the most prudish and square people I’ve ever met.  And of course, they live in fear, weakness and have no self-confidence.  Such traits are typical in societies where the elite need to keep people under control and servitude, in order to maintain their power and prevent any revolutions.  Taiwanese need to wake up and realize that they are infinite consciousness at their root who can choose to live in love, oneness and spirituality, rather than remain subservient fearful drones who only live to produce and consume.  As David Icke says, “Infinite Love is the only truth.  All else is illusion.”

 

To discuss these observations in my forum, see this thread:  http://www.happierabroad.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6215

Post a comment about this article in my blog at:  http://intellectualexpat.blogspot.com/2010/05/observations-about-taiwanese-people.html


See also:

 

Observations about Asian Mentality and Culture

Missionary confirms my observations about Taiwan

Swiss Journalist concurs with my observations about Taiwan

Comparison Chart: Winston vs. Taiwanese/Chinese people - Differences and Similarities

Taiwan vs. America: Differences and Similarities

 

 

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