I ran across this fascinating article about the distinctions between Eastern and Western cultures regarding optimism and pessimism and how each integrates these attitudes into their cultures. In Western culture, the emphasis is on self improvement for the benefit of the self, whereas in Eastern culture the emphasis is on the improvement of the group via the sacrifice of the self. The article mentions that in Eastern culture, self-criticism is an important element of maintaining and supporting the group. This self-critical behavior fosters a more pessimistic view of expectations in one’s life. In Western culture, the emphasis on individualism and self achievement gives rise to a more optimistic view of one’s own expectations, and thus gives rise to ultimate success of the group.
As I read this article, I thought about the problems plaguing the world, and how various cultures have reacted to their governments. I have wondered why Americans are not rioting in the streets as much as other cultures. Certainly there are many in this country who are angry with our government. Based on this article, explaining the connection of self striving and optimism, I find that it is in our nature as a culture to take a really bad situation and find the guts to dig out of it, instead of freaking out and rioting. I find that it is our optimism as a culture that keeps us searching for a solution. We believe that we do have a culture that is worth preserving and we need to work together to fix the problems. This sense of individualism that our Western culture subscribes to is to our advantage, because it encourages self-enhancement (as the article states), which then fosters optimism.
This might not be the point of the article in question, but the comment I could make is that in my own (Hungarian) culture, expressing pessimistic views is a lot more socially accepted than it is here. That doesn’t affect the extent to which people can solve their own problems though.
I also find that it is our optimism that keeps us searching for a solution as you have stated! America as a whole seems to work together even after something that we as individuals may not like, we try and find the best solutions possible to promote a better world. I couldn’t imagine riots taking place everywhere just because, of the little riots I see on television after the Boston Celtics didn’t win the “big” game, or even if they did. Those are bad enough, imagining the whole country at war with riots would be unthinkable.
It seems to me that we don’t have full scale rioting in the United States as much as in other countries because as stated in the beginning of the article, the focus in other countries is on the group. If I, as an individual, feel like the government does me wrong, I am going to internalize it and not rally my friends for change. If my focus is on the group, I am more likely to downplay my role and join with my friends for change for the group.