In a global historical studies class a discussion was struck on the topic of family loyalty. Whilst researching and discussing this topic you can very easily find that loyalty and honor in China are almost unbelievably unparalleled in the rest of the world. In fact in some philosophers words, there is no option but to completely respect your family and never turn your back on them. A question was raised in this discussion on whether or not people would turn their backs on their family if something bad/illegal happened. Many people responded that it depends on how bad this action was, but how would you really know unless something like this had really happened to you? Is it possible that this culture from China has bled into the United States, or is it completely lost? I may have an answer to these questions.
Listening to others claim that they would turn their parents in if they did something illegal, was really almost one of the most frustrating things on the face of the planet. They’re even claiming they would, when it was things that don’t even affect them as a human being. While as a person who has lived through an abusive household, I never told anyone what I went through. I could’ve told the police, I could’ve moved to my mom’s house. Yet I chose not to, because of an innate respect for family that I was just born with. Why didn’t I say anything? Why would I still care about the family members that did this thing to me? Because we’re human, and we don’t know how much we rely on our parents until we don’t have them. Sometimes people don’t say things about events even worse than this.
One of my good friends has known that his mother was having an affair for years, and still hasn’t told his father. He can’t bring himself to, in his head if he said anything he would be the reason that his parents separated.
The point here through these darker stories, is that I think people would be surprised how much they wouldn’t rat their parents out for. Some of me wonders if this Chinese culture isn’t necessarily just theirs, but that they actually just understand these things that people are born with. Not just something we study, but something we all also experience. I believe firmly that this “cultural” thing, is actually just a factor of the Chinese culture being able to accept the fact that this is “The Way”.
Feel free to agree or disagree, always love great discussion!