"If You Want To Understand China" (3)
Complementarity is Possible: Chinese and Western ways of thinking. But does the West want it ?
A number of associates and board members from the Transnational Foundation of Peace and Future Research (TFF) have decided to prepare and launch an anthology of articles in this time to provide a broader understanding of China.
In this third article, Jan Oberg, co-founder of TFF, examines how we can approach the diversity in cultures and expand our lenses towards macro in time and space?
We learn about other cultures than our own mostly through our media – however, in many cases, also through books, films, travels and personal encounters. All news are micro glimpses in time and space – something happens there and then, something else happens the next minute. In addition, the world is seen through negative lenses: dramatic and ’bad’ stuff makes the news. Bad news makes good news.
We look for causes behind news and events in the immediate past or present, like B did this because A recently did that. It’s all micro in time and space, and very seldom do we get the macro – the larger/broader or deeper space and time – call them macro-history, deep culture or non-material aspects. Perhaps because the media cannot make footage of such ’things.’
With a short and narrow world/reality focused on individuals and events happening here and there, we’re all at the mercy of a fragmented, individualistic, short-term, negative and material worldview.
This challenges us in at least two ways: how do we get a more accurate, holistic perspective of the world, which includes the macro – the deeper and broader connected aspects of time and space? And how can we ever understand each other across cultural diversity differences?
How can we approach that diversity and expand our lenses towards macro in time and space?
Read whole article in the TFF website.
“If You Want To Understand China (3)”
Complimentarity is Possible: Chinese and Western Way of thinking
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Previous articles from the anthology “If You Want To Understand China” :
"If You Want To Understand China" (intro)
A number of associates and board members from the Transnational Foundation of Peace and Future Research (TFF) have decided to prepare and launch an anthology of articles in coming months to provide a broader understanding of China.
"If You Want To Understand China" (1)
Echoes Of Volatile And Delusive Memory: Challenging Historical Interpretations
February 8, 2025
Authors “If You Want To Understand China”
Jan Oberg • Peter Peverelli • Thore Vestby • Yuewei Wang • Johan Galtung • Gordon Dumoulin