How can Taiwan be "friendly" if no one wants to be your friend?! 10 Reasons Why Taiwan is NOT friendly!

[Winston]

Comments I posted below a video about Taiwan where all the commentators claim the people are friendly and enthusiastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9fdHs1uxGo

Happier Abroad - Expat Living and Dating Overseas
2 minutes ago
Are you guys smoking something? Taiwan is definitely NOT friendly. The people are super cold and make ZERO eye contact and have ZERO interest in making friends. Flirtation is also VERY TABOO. I swear to God (hand on Bible). You guys are cultish and do not see the obvious truth in Taiwan. I would never lie about this. I'm not fake like most people.

Happier Abroad - Expat Living and Dating Overseas
0 seconds ago
Another thing: People who say Taiwan is friendly NEVER differentiate between young and old. The truth is, only elderly and older people in Taiwan can be friendly and talkative. Young people, especially young women are definitely NOT, they are colder than ice and impossible to connect with or hold a conversation with. Even on social media, they have nothing to say and never reply. Not true in China and other countries though where women are more social and normal. No one dares to point out this obvious fact though, why?

Comments I posted under many Taiwan scenic videos:

Can someone explain why nearly everyone says "Taiwan is friendly"? How can it be friendly if no one there wants to be your friend? I asked many this and they are all stumped. Very weird. There is a total disinterest in making friends in Taiwan. It's the most antisocial country in Asia for sure, besides Korea and Hong Kong. The women and girls also have a very negative hateful vibe that makes you feel uncomfortable. Trying to socialize with them or chat them up feels awkward and inappropriate. Everything feels wrong and off. Kind of like Seattle, WA but much worse. It's hard to explain. You gotta go to Taiwan to know what I mean. But of course it's taboo to say this because Taiwan is all about being politically correct, not honest. So in that sense it's unfree, even though it's a democracy. Anyone else notice all this too?

Btw, the problem is NOT me. I am very open and social and down to earth and been to 14 countries and met thousands of people. I only have problems in super cliquish places like Taiwan and West Coast USA. Outside of the US and NE Asia, I have many friends and meeting people comes naturally, just like in the movies. Only in Taiwan and USA is it not, so the problem is NOT me.

Btw I would not recommend Taiwan for nature tourism, because there are too many insects that bite you if you go outdoors and try to hike, which is very annoying and distracting. Also most of the hiking trails are too steep up and down and strenuous on your knees. And the nature is nothing special. The national parks in the USA are far more spectacular without annoying insects and have a wide variety of trails, including flat level easy trails.

[Winston]

This Chinese video has stunning and breathtaking aerial footage of Taiwan. I guess it's one of those places that looks better from the air than from the ground. There's a Chinese intro but the rest of it is silent with soft music.



Another good one with scenic vistas. The narration is Chinese though.

[Winston]

I just turned this thread into a blog article about 10 reasons why Taiwanese are NOT friendly. Check out the comments so far. lol

https://blog.happierabroad.com/2022/05/ ... endly.html

[josephty2]

Asia Asians are quite closed, for a reason, really - they were lucky to not have a bad upbringing (mbti: ESTP, ISTP) but their upbringing is good enough (but not above average/amazing - thats INFP) to where they can't see any other possibility - so they keep doing what works, they play it safe, and logically it makes sense, it makes them money, career, and they can make the choice to start a family.

I mean, I understand Asian culture, feng shui is pretty tough and they put some effort, and generally they want it play it safe.

Just saying. Its like if you had 500 dollars would you bet to lose it all (> 90%) or a small chance (< 5%) to turn that to 2000 dollars?

From feng shui, which is manipulating the room of where you live with the best of your ability - the effects of bad feng shui isn't studied extensively because Asians play it safe. In Western culture, bad feng shui is common, but the side effect is that there's quite some variation of chaos. One on hand, Winston could be bullied mostly because he doesn't have more than 100 different shirts and outfits of 100+ different designs, on the other hand, you have world records of billionaires in the USA.

[Winston]

Wow check this out. This tall good looking athletic white guy from Canada that I met in Taiwan finally confessed some things to me. See below. Apparently he had difficulty making friends in Taiwan too, which he didn't like to admit before until now. What this means is that it's not all about race or looks like some of u thought. A bad social vibe is still a bad social vibe regardless of your race or looks. It could be that some guys like Rock had a better experience in Taiwan due to intangible factors, not race or looks. See below. This speaks volumes. So u see, I do have the TRUTH on my side, even if many perceive me as a loser.

His letter to me on Line:

"At the time we met, I really wasn't in the mood for meeting people. I was stressed with my visa situation and I was running out of money with my business not making anything and had a few intrapersonal relationship issues. So there were just so many things going on. Honestly I'm still a bit overwhelmed in a bit of a transition with everything right now. Exhausted.

And my views have changed since then. I don't really have many friends left. When I left I got to see which ones cared to meet up before leaving and which ones avoided it or made plans but didn't show up and then never talk to me again so, there really aren't many left haha.

I was more extroverted in Taiwan than in Canada. My first time trying really. But by the time we met I was already starting to feel weighed down by a lot of things.

But I did meet a few very sweet and genuine people, Taiwanese. A few out of maybe 100+ in my 18 months

In my experience, most people are fake or cold and closed off, at least people 20-40. But I've only really socialized in Taiwan and Canada.

But yeah idk I struggle with friends too but to me I can't blame that on Taiwan. It's a common problem in Canada. Actually I think Canada is very similar in a lot of ways. And I noticed society in Taiwan is heavily medicated just like US/Canada or more in many cases. Most people met were on anxiety and depression meds and history of family mental health issues. Maybe it's a global thing. Idk, haven't spent time in parts of Europe or Asia you mentioned

But also a matter of perspective. I think everyone has the kindness and compassion in them but it's just everyone turned to zombies. School and work a lot. Most don't have time to relax. Too stressed. Then threats from china. People say they don't care but I think it weighs on them."

[Spencer]

Wow wiston you proof behond shadows that taiwan is most anti socialy zombylan in the wide world

[Winston]

Internations claims Taiwan is the friendliest country in the world according to surveys. Why would they lie? To promote tourism?

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3122252

I can debunk this claim in 3 seconds with one question:

"If taiwan is friendly, why does no one want to be your friend?"

Every expat i asked this to becomes shocked and confused as if reality destroyed their illusion.

Moreover next time u go to the supermarket try to talk to people. You will feel like a criminal or creep for sure. Guaranteed. Ill bet 200 dollars on it. Everyone runs away when i issue this challenge. This is total proof that the claim cannot be true.

Case closed.

I should go to the internations meetup group and ask this question. I will be treated like a total freak. Lol

So much for free speech.

Almost all the foreigners I see in Taiwan are either alone or with other foreigners. Not hanging out with local Taiwanese people. The only Taiwanese or Asians they hang out with are Americanized or Westernized Asians. I've taken pictures of foreigners who are either alone or with other foreigners in Taiwan to prove my point, if anyone wants to contest it.

[Yohan]

viewtopic.php?style=1&p=375323#p375323

I also mentioned that in another thread see link above.
This is a very strange listing, putting TAIWAN as a top-destination (#3) and Japan as a bottom-destination (#47).

[Winston]

I can easily debunk the Internations article above with 7 simple logical reasons:

1. First, the simple question "If Taiwan is so friendly, why does no one want to be your friend?" stumps everyone, even the smartest people. Even Einstein cannot answer this. This speaks volumes. It means that a simple question can knock down a house of cards. Hence it only takes 3 seconds to debunk the bogus claim. Now don't get me wrong. Taiwanese can be polite and kind, but they can also be rude, grouchy, and cold too. But the bottom line is that they aren't interested in being your buddy or hanging out or bonding with you. They are very superficial by nature, and their motto is similar to the one in the Seattle Freeze which is "Have a nice day... somewhere else (not around me)". Most of the time they ignore you completely. Even most of my Taiwanese cousins ignore me and do not reply to me on social media. Not kidding.

2. You never see foreigners and local Taiwanese hanging out. When you see foreigners, they are usually either alone, with other foreigners, or with Asian Americans (like me) or Taiwanese Americans. Not with local Taiwanese. This speaks volumes. It means foreigners are ignored too, like me, even if they are given some hospitality and niceness from locals, which is superficial of course. So it's not just me. That's why you see foreigners standing around looking bored and ignored by the locals. Keep in mind that I can speak some Chinese and Taiwanese too, so language barrier is not an issue and never was. That's a total myth that superficial people give with no basis.

3. Taiwanese people, especially Taiwanese women, seem to have ZERO enthusiasm and interest in making new friends or meeting men. They have a cold wall and are very closed off and cold, and if you try to talk to them, you will feel like a creep who is violating some boundary or taboo. They all want to be left alone, similar to in America. This is very consistent and clear to see out in public. It cannot be just me, because I notice HIGH enthusiasm from women in the Philippines and in Russia. And I have many videos and photos to prove it of course. Even in China, there is at least a little to moderate enthusiasm from women toward meeting new people or making new friends. Not zero like in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or America. So location makes all the difference, NOT my thoughts or attitude or beliefs, as New Agers and Self-Help books FALSELY claim. I know this because I am the SAME person with the SAME outgoing personality and attitude in all the countries mentioned above, yet my experiences are completely different. And I will swear on the Bible to that. That conclusively proves location makes all the difference. It's all about THEM, not me.

4. In Taiwan the only strangers who say hi to you or make small talk with you are either: 1) Elderly Taiwanese, 2) Little Children, or 3) Foreigners. But anyone between 20 and 40 is usually totally closed off, cold, uptight and never makes any eye contact with you or acknowledges your existence. They totally ignore you in other words as if you don't exist. This pattern is consistent all throughout Taiwan and is obvious. Anyone can go to Taiwan and see this for themselves. Go for a walk or a hike around Taiwan and you will notice this pattern. Taiwan is very homogenous so any patterns are usually consistent. Again, it's all about THEM, not me. Taiwan has a super CLIQUISH environment, like high school, which to me is very immature and shallow and small minded. I don't like that at all. It's very different than Europe or Russia which are much more mature, open minded, curious, outgoing, social, and less cliquish than Taiwan is.

5. Local Taiwanese do not deny the above if you put these things specifically. Especially if you ask someone in Taiwan that is older and more down to earth, not a young airhead. Of course they will say "Taiwan is friendly" because they are supposed to, but when you get specific and ask them if their women are approachable and open to chatting to strangers, etc. then they will admit that they are not. So once you get specific rather than asking a vague question like "Are Taiwanese friendly?", then you start getting real answers. Yet ironically, they will still say "Taiwan is friendly" even though they will admit that the above is true, because that's what they are supposed to say. Asians are copycats and will copy each other like with a hive mind, as we all know. So even if they lie, they will all lie, because they are connected to their collective, like the Borg in Star Trek. To do otherwise is rude and inappropriate. Also in the modern world, a positive lie is preferred to a negative truth, just like in America. And since Taiwan is very Americanized, they will tend to be just as fake as Americans. They will even claim to be happy when they do not look or act happy, just like Americans do. Go figure. In any case, if honest local Taiwanese themselves admit that my specific observations are true, then how can I be wrong?!

Furthermore, Taiwanese women themselves will ADMIT that they are CLOSED if you ask them. They are happy to admit it and will not pretend to be open. Try it and you will see. They are not ashamed to admit that they are closed, because it's a simple FACT. That's all. In short, Taiwanese women do not like people they don't know and are not open or curious about others, especially strangers. That's just the way they are. If you are good at reading people, you can see this when you meet them (if they will even talk to you that is, since they simply aren't into chatting with strangers, even if you have a mutual friend with them). It's obvious, and they will admit it if you ask them. So again, if they themselves admit that they are closed, then how can I be wrong about it?! Think about it.

6. If you check the official birthrate in Taiwan, it's very low, similar to Japan, which is among the lowest in all of Asia. That speaks volume. An extremely low birthrate means that male-female relationships are cold and sour and unnatural. Definitely NOT friendly at all. In contrast, the birthrate in China is higher and closer to normal, and the birthrate in the Philippines is still very high, which means male-female relations are still normal and healthy. These are all facts you can look up to validate my point.

7. Taiwanese men are known to import many brides from Vietnam every year. Why would they have to do that if Taiwanese women are "so friendly"? If Taiwanese women were friendly and social, then any Taiwanese man could easily ask their social connections to find him a nice single Taiwanese woman with decent personality and looks. But it's not that easy of course. Think about it. Add 2 and 2.

Conclusion:

Now you might be wondering "Who are you? You're just one whiny guy, whereas Internations is a popular expat organization. What credibility do you have as opposed to them?" Well excuse me, but just because an organization is popular doesn't mean it's honest and truthful and unbiased. Duh. Do you think CNN is truthful and honest and unbiased just because it's a big organization? Duh. Use your inner tuning fork, if you have one and are not just an NPC. Come on. Ask any of my friends, they will tell you that I'm the most honest and authentic guy they know. They definitely would believe me over some random BS internet article any day.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you can't get a girlfriend or wife in Taiwan. Some do of course, that's why you see many couples in Taiwan out in public. But you don't choose it and you don't make it happen. It happens if it's your destiny, like all things do. Ask any couple how they met, they will tell you it happened naturally, as if it was meant to be and destined. They didn't do anything special to "make it happen". Some people are destined to have a partner in Taiwan, some are not. It's not a choice. If it's your destiny, it will happen naturally, if not, then it won't.

That's how pretty much all things work. Even friendships are like this if you think about it. People have an instinct and sixth sense about who they can be friends with and who belongs in their tribe. That's how cliques form. It has nothing to do with logic or common interests. You can have common interests with everyone in your church, but if there is no resonance or connection, there will be no real friendship or relationship. That's how it is. Even birds instinctively know which birds they can fly with as a flock, and which they can't. There is an intangible resonance. It's not something you can choose or control.

The thing is, even when I meet people in Taiwan, there's never any chemistry or connection, only politeness or awkwardness. Never any resonance or connection or synergy or chemistry. They are totally bland and empty and have nothing to connect with. Not my fault. Just telling it like it is. Saying that it's my fault is like faulting ketchup for not mixing well with ice cream. There is no fault there, some flavors just don't mix together. Likewise, my soul and personality doesn't mix with Taiwanese culture and people and their awkward weird uptight vibe. Not my fault. Just like it's not the fault of ketchup that it doesn't mix well with ice cream. But ketchup does mix well with french fries of course. You see what I mean? Victim blamers and narrow people don't understand this for some reason. They love to blame misfits and never see the big picture.

Simply put, if you are not narrow, uptight, closed, cold, and superficial like Taiwanese are, they will see you as a creep and weirdo and freak, and you will FEEL like one too! No joke! I'm serious. That's how odd it is. I swear. I didn't make it that way, that's just the way it is. Hence if you are not like them, you will not vibe with Taiwan at all. That's the simple truth.

[Winston]

Check out the two expats in the photo at the link above about Taiwan being the friendliest country in the world.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3122252



Don't they look super fake and plastic and superficial? Totally different from us? Are they NPCs? Would you vibe with guys like that in real life? They're so fake. Wouldn't you feel awkward around them? They look like they will say any fake thing that is expected of them. lol. Totally different from us. The smiles on them look so plastic too.

Would you vibe with those guys @kangarunner and @publicduende? lol

[Winston]

Just put up a blog article debunking the bogus extreme claim by Internations.

https://blog.happierabroad.com/2022/07/ ... untry.html

[kangarunner]

Check out the two expats in the photo at the link above about Taiwan being the friendliest country in the world.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3122252



Don't they look super fake and plastic and superficial? Totally different from us? Are they NPCs? Would you vibe with guys like that in real life? They're so fake. Wouldn't you feel awkward around them? They look like they will say any fake thing that is expected of them. lol. Totally different from us. The smiles on them look so plastic too.

Would you vibe with those guys @kangarunner and @publicduende? lol

@Winston I never judge a book by its cover.

[publicduende]

Check out the two expats in the photo at the link above about Taiwan being the friendliest country in the world.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3122252

Don't they look super fake and plastic and superficial? Totally different from us? Are they NPCs? Would you vibe with guys like that in real life? They're so fake. Wouldn't you feel awkward around them? They look like they will say any fake thing that is expected of them. lol. Totally different from us. The smiles on them look so plastic too.

Would you vibe with those guys @kangarunner and @publicduende? lol

@Winston I have never been to Taiwan, despite being less than an hour away from Manila, so I can't really tell. I was supposed to go with C for a few days but felt sick (this was before Covid craze) and C ended up going there on her own. There is a 100% chance we will visit this year, though, together with Thailand, another zero-visit of mine.

From what I heard, it's basically Chinese culture with a backbone of perfectionism, efficiency, and attention to aesthetics inherited from their Japanese colonial legacy. If that's so, it doesn't sound like such a bad place to attain a good quality of life. If the friendliness needle, though, sits somewhere between China and Japan, I agree with you, I don't think it would be easy to make casual friends in Taiwan.

However, as we discussed countless times, and with much harsher tones at times, this is not a problem specific to Taiwan. We are not little children, who will improvise a group game with whoever they find at the park. We are not teenagers, who are hormone-driven and will immediately welcome anyone who looks cool or pretty. We are adults, and adults always have their own checklists before they invest time and energy in pursuing someone, whether it's for a functional friendship or a genuine one.

Without a social or professional identity in any given country, I bet my last dollar that it's always harder to make lasting friends. Your concept of friendship is the casual encounter at a hostel, over beer, to discuss the mysteries of the world. Most people's concept is about establishing a lasting bond of trust and respect, love even, which takes time and effort. Not many people are willing to give you that time and effort if you're just a passing tourist and will disappear after a few short weeks.

[Winston]

@publicduende

But the point is, what's the basis for saying that "Taiwan is the friendliest country" in the world? On what basis? Do you see my point? Especially since I can point out 7 good reasons why it's one of the LEAST friendliest countries in Asia. Some of the 7 reasons are obvious and verifiable and observable. Did you read them?

If you look at reason 6 about Taiwan having the lowest birthrate in Asia, some say even lower than Japan, that speaks volumes doesn't it? A normal friendly country does not have the lowest birthrate in the world, it obviously means there is something very OFF right? Don't you agree? You can easily verify this yourself. It's a prime indicator that something is wrong or off.

@Yohan can you check if Taiwan's birthrate is lower than Japan's?

So you see PD, this isn't just about adults not wanting to talk to strangers because they have no need to. This goes far deeper than that.

Moreover, the Taiwan vibe kills your spirit. You can't be yourself or be fun and passionate or even feel good about yourself. There is no positive energy to wake up to. Only fake politeness. When you go to Taiwan, you will see what I mean.

So you see, you can't use the "adults have no business talking to you excuse". That doesn't make sense.

[publicduende]

But the point is, what's the basis for saying that "Taiwan is the friendliest country" in the world? On what basis? Do you see my point? Especially since I can point out 7 good reasons why it's one of the LEAST friendliest countries in Asia. Some of the 7 reasons are obvious and verifiable and observable. Did you read them?

I did, @Winston, but all of them apply to most countries, to be honest. No point bashing on Taiwan as if it's a singularity. If anything, it's the Philippines that is a real singularity in the world...with people so friendly and warm to the point of being sticky (until you realised that, 99% of the times, it's because they expect something in exchange for their attention).

So yes, Taiwan is not the friendliest country in the world, not by far.

If you look at reason 6 about Taiwan having the lowest birthrate in Asia, some say even lower than Japan, that speaks volumes doesn't it? A normal friendly country does not have the lowest birthrate in the world, it obviously means there is something very OFF right? Don't you agree? You can easily verify this yourself. It's a prime indicator that something is wrong or off.

Declining birth rates are a mainstay of all developed countries. Unless they have a special penchant for an army of kids, most couples who have to work hard to make ends meet are aware that more children mean giving each child fewer opportunities in life. Elon Musk, with his billions, may afford to spread his seed far and wide and call his offspring with non-ASCII characters. A standard couple, if they do want to procreate at all, will probably only want one, max 2 kids. Far lower than the replacement rate of a generally healthy ageing population, who won't kick the bucket before their late 80s.

So you see PD, this isn't just about adults not wanting to talk to strangers because they have no need to. This goes far deeper than that.

Moreover, the Taiwan vibe kills your spirit. You can't be yourself or be fun and passionate or even feel good about yourself. There is no positive energy to wake up to. Only fake politeness. When you go to Taiwan, you will see what I mean.

So you see, you can't use the "adults have no business talking to you excuse". That doesn't make sense.

That I can't tell. I am sure there is some social pressure to conform, to go to school and excel, to make your parents proud and happy by working extra hard, marrying the "right" partner at the right time, and never an existential hiccup. I guess many of these behaviours are common to most Northern Asian societies. From what I read, South Korea is even worse than Japan, Taiwan and China when it comes to this kind of early mind conditioning.

As I told you time and again my opinion is that you, Winston, are a particularly atypical specimen of Asian-American. I think you should be happy and proud about your parents giving you the kind of freedom, spiritual and material, to be yourself and spend time cultivating your hobbies, your cultural interests and your persona. It's, well, another singularity.

You truly are a one-in-a-million Asian-American, albeit not for all the reasons you would like to hear.