The Yin and Yang of American Culture:  A Paradox

 

Transform existing US culture into world class.

 

Yang

·        Dreaming the impossible

·        Frontier spirit

·        Seeing everybody as equal

·        Daring to be yourself

·        Individual merit

·        Separation of personal and professional

·        Competitive spirit

·        Systematic planning and organization

·        Flexible systems, flexible roles

·        Empowerment of women

·        Releasing human potential

·        Openness and friendliness

·        Pursuit of fun

·        Turning scars into stars

·        Being practical

·        Sharing romantic feelings

·        Remaining active throughout life

·        Respect for children’s voices

·        Exposing children to the work ethic

·        Volunteerism

·        Generosity

·        Embracing world service

·        Preservation and conservation

 

Yin

·        Expectation of an easy life

·        Insistence on rights

·        Refusal to grow up

·        Never slowing down

·        Obsession with control

·        Too many choices

·        Wastefulness

·        Too much ownership, too little enjoyment

·        Obsession with big

·        Unhealthy and overindulgent eating

·        Lack of loyalty

·        Impersonal relationships

·        Overemphasis on independence

·        Suing anybody, anytime, and anywhere

·        Overuse of warnings and tips

·        Families at risk

·        Insufficient emphasis on filial piety

·        Poor basic education

·        Inability to speak foreign languages

·        Lack of character education

·        Disrespect for teachers

·        Talking too much

·        Exaggeration and overconfidence

·        Prejudice

·        Tolerance of violence

·        Contentiousness about religion

·        Arrogance

 

Invitation to global values

·        Know your own culture

·        Seek to understand others

·        Do not judge

·        Respect the divine

·        Practice kindness and politeness

·        Remember your responsibilities

·        Honor your family

·        Invest in human relationships

·        Use moderation

·        Learn and teach

 

 

In the 1990s image of US changed to “ugly Americans.”  Nation in decline?  Little integrity, next to no shame, no family values, selfish, ignorant, ruthless, materialistic, loud, and violent.

 

Americanization=spreading “germs” to the world…to young people.  What is “cool” is what is American.

 

Cultural superiority, imperialism…modernization seen as Americanization.

 

Similar chartacterisitics almost all Americans share:  idealism, egalitarianism, legalism, optimism…expressed in the way they dream, in their attitudes, beliefs, communication, dress, etiquette, and lifestyle.

 

Yin and Yang 700BC…harmony and balance in the universe and in their lives…applied to government, medicine, relationships.

 

Life is governed by the interaction of two opposite poles; male yang and female yin, positive and negative, light and dark, hard and soft, etc.  Heaven, the sun, fire =yang.  earth, the moon, water are yin.

 

They are not dualism as in the western concept of good and evil.  But they exist in everything.  They complete each other to maintain cosmic harmony and can even transform into each other.  Winter (yin) changes into summer (yang).  an entity regarded as yin in one light can be yang in another light.  Thus, in american vices, there is the possibility of virtue...in American virtues there is the potential for vice.  Abraham Lincoln, "It is my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues."

 

They are complementary and interdependent.  Each phenomenon can be itself and its opposite.  Within yang there is potential for yin and vice versa.  Yang can change into yin and vice versa.

 

When yang is taken to an extreme it becomes negative and reverts to yin.  Positive American characteristics can become negative if they are taken to an extreme.  For example, egalitarianism is wonderful but within it is the seed for entitlement and lack of decorum.

 

Competition is good but if it is overemphasized it makes cooperation impossible and creates warring tribes. 

 

Daring to be yourself is good but there will be no unity if everyone demands uniqueness.

 

Lew Platt, former CEO of HP, "It's imperative that we continually seek to know ourselves better as Americans before we presume to understand others; the realities of globalization demand it, business effectiveness demands it, and diversity depends on it."

 

It is time for Americans to open their minds and hearts to Asian culture and values, which have existed for thousands of years.  Asians have seen things that Americans have not.  Asia is advanced philosophically (technologically less so).  Asians have different perceptions of life and alternative ways to reach happiness.

 

Asian upbringings value family, loyalty, modesty, peace and harmony.  3.3 billion Asians...confucianism, buddhism, taoism of East Asia and muslim and hindu in SE Asia

 

America in the 21st Century

Roman empire was largely confined to Europe...the mongols went from China to Eastern Europe but their cultural influence was limited...even the British empire was less powerful.

 

Titanic, CNN, Friends, Oprah are in Asia, Europe, Mid-East.  British say "Hi ____" in emails.

McDonalds is in more than 100 countries, 2000 McDonalds in Japan...5% of Australian population (7% US) eats at McDonalds.

 

Cultural imperialism, cultural assault of McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Disney, Nike, and American english.  "What i fear most about e-commerce is the Americanization of Japan."

 

Books:  The china That Can Say No, The Japan that can Say NO, Culture Jam:  The Uncooling of America, The Voice of Asia.

 

Americans admired for:

ambitious-diverse-free-creative-fun loving-friendly-wealthy-rules oriented-open-energetic-independent-adventurous-generous-competitive-optimistic-trusting

 

Negative images of America:

ethnocentric-materialistic-promiscuous-disloyal-lacking in family values-loud-arrogant-selfish-indulgent-insincere-aggressive-inflexible-impersonal-superficial-violent-youth oriented-lonely-spoiled-lazy-prejudiced

 

Some Americans criticize the country for:  too much emphasis on money, image, glamour, and youth.  Incompetence in math and science.  No respect for marriage or elders.  Us government interference in other countries' affairs.

 

Closing of the American Mind

Americans rarely look to the rest of the world as a source of learning.

 

Some see foreigners as "defective Americans."

 

Americans are "monolingual, geographically challenged nationalists."  Many high schools do not require world history, geography, or a foreign language.  Rarely do Americans read books written by foreign authors.

 

As the US becomes the dominant power, many Americans are losing interest in the outside world.  It's so comfortable in the US why bother?

 

Opening of the American Mind

Eating more salsa than ketchup and drinking capuccinos (cafe afuch) and espressos. Taking martial arts.  But Americans despite Walkman, Honda, Nintendo, Pokemon do not know the essence of Japanese culture much less the cultures of lesser-known countries.

 

1000 people:

 

100 people:

 

If the US doesn't improve its cultural knowledge (of customers, co-workers, partners, suppliers) then its leadership and dominance are at risk.

 

Culture is like water and people are like fish.  When you are in the water (your own culture) you take it for granted. 

 

There's no substitute for travel said Chuang Tzu:

How shall I talk of the sea to the frog if he has never left his pond?

How shall I talk of the frost to the bird of the summer land if it has never left the land of its birth?

How shall I talk of life with the sage, if he is a prisoner of his doctrine?

 

The fear that if you learn cultural differences you will lose your own identity.  Some people feel threatened by newcomers who look different or speak with accents.

 

Vision of a World Class Culture

GDP, quality of life but what about cultural and moral leadership?

 

"Thirty years prosperity, 30 years decay."  Japanese "he who climbs a great mountain must come down on the other side."  Must the US now descend?

 

Poll results of how US ranks as a leader:  movies, music, TV, pop culture, military, technology, world economy, creativity and innovation.

 Poll results on greatest threat to US power:  moral decline.

 

The Bible "Those who are given more will be asked to do more."

 

Americans must earnestly study their present conditions and examine their moral strengths and weaknesses, their cultural assets and liabilities.

 

 Note:  The next time we approach the Yin and Yang of US culture we will pass the laptop around and everyone will take turns typing key notes about Yang, Yin, and Invitation to Global Values.

 

From:  The Yin and Yang of American Culture by Eun Kim