Stahlke Adoption

Not Sticking Out

When Jonathan and I taught classes in Hong Kong, the students would almost never ask questions in class. Instead, we would be swamped for ten or fifteen minutes after the period ended with multiple students verifying what we had said. We learned that saving face is a very important part of the culture. Therefore, the students wouldn't risk losing face by asking questions. In addition, they didn't want us to lose face for not having explained the concepts well enough. I'm not kidding!

No one wants to stand out. And if one person does, the rest lay low. It works that way in families, too. I'm just thankful that (most of the time) only one child demands the majority of attention.

posted by Stahlkes @ 7:10 PM