Re: Feature request : more encodings support

Dean,

I wasn't clear. As explained to me this cultural difference does not
reflect disingeniousness. It is just a different style of
communication. The American way of saying no to a business request is
blunt and direct. We value that. A Korean businessman considers this
to be rude and essentially a statement that the person making the
request is not an important person. Instead he looks for a more
subtle, less direct and therefor less personally insulting way to
convey the same information. It is not so different from the jargon of
international diplomacy. The language is indirect but everyone
understands exactly what is being said. Only people ignorant of the
language and tradition misunderstand. For that reason it is no less
honest. It is merely a different style.

At the risk of appearing rude let me paraphrase what you said as it
might be interpreted by someone from a culture like this. I know this
is not what you meant. I am exaggerating by adding emotionally loaded
terms to give you the flavor. It is as if you said something like: "I
don't get squat for money from your neck of the woods. Who cares what
you want me to do?" Stripped of the heavily loaded high emotion
content words I used the actual message content is the same. It is all
in the interpretation.

Here is another one I learned in the same course. Suppose someone from
Japan you are doing business with gives you a business card. If you do
the normal Western thing of stuffing it in your pocket and continuing
the discussion you have just insulted him. The proper response is to
stop and hold the card in both hands, bend over it and read it
carefully. Make a ceremony of it. After reading it look up and
acknowledge what you have just read making clear by body language that
you know it is important and you understand what you read. To us that
card is just a source of useful contact information. To him that card
is a symbol of his position and therefor his importance. Ignoring his
card is the equivalent of spitting on his flag. Both show disrespect.
Of course these days that same businessman is likely to be quite
sophisticated and is onto us. He understands that we are merely
provincial and uncouth and don't know any better so he doesn't hold it
against us. Eh! ;-)

Steve

On Sat, May 1, 2010 at 5:16 PM, Dean <canadacow@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think you're right Steve.  I've heard the same thing as well
> regarding Asian cultures and always giving the appearance of
> affirmation to requests.  And to me, being a North American (I hail
> from both America and America's hat) an honest and transparent answer
> is much better than appearing disingenious (at least in Western
> culture).

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