East Meets West

East Meets West: Amazing Cultural Comparisons

If you work globally, you must look at this brilliant drawings. They deal with the fascinating cultural differences between Eastern and Western mentality — from the individualistic tendencies of the West versus the pluralism of Asian societies, to how differently Westerners and Easterners read the emotions of others.

Born in China but living in Germany since she was 14, Liu Yang has a unique grip of this cultural duality — and she channels it with great wit and eloquent minimalism in graphics that say so much by showing so little.

Blue represents West, red represents East.

Opinions

Waiting in the Queue

Most Westerners are overwhelmed by the pushing and shoving that occurs in Eastern banks, train stations, bus stops, and elevators. For example, before the Olympic Games, Beijing decided to clean up its act and announced a National Queue-Up Day once a month in an effort to prevent people from cutting and prepare them to be more well-mannered for the event.

Party

The Boss

In the East, bosses have greater authority and influence, as well as respect. In the West, bosses may have a weaker influence in comparison.

Handling Problems

Westerners tend to take the most direct approach to problem solving. Problem solving in Asia is a bit more complex, and it may involve an indirect approach.

Noise in the Restaurant

Easterners may speak louder or more rapidly in restaurants compared to Westerners.

Making Contacts

Westerners tend to have very linear relationships with a few people, whereas Easterners tend to have more circular relationships in complex, branched-out relationships that reach across many people.

Ego

Westerners think in terms of themselves most importantly. Most Easterners think of themselves as part of a larger sum.

What's Trendy

Westerners love trying out Asian food with chopsticks and Chinese-style soup spoons. Easterners love trying out Western food with forks and knives.

The Child

In the West, primarily the parents raise their children, with the grandparents playing less of a role in day-to-day life. In the East, both parents and grandparents are actively involved in raising their children, sometimes giving overwhelming attention.

Daily Meals

Westerners eat a mix of cold and warm meals. Easterners prefer warm, hot meals.

Life of the Elderly

Seniors in Eastern societies tend to stay at home to raise the grandchildren. In Western societies, there is more emphasis on independence on how seniors live their lives. The majority of seniors in Western societies are often on their own by their own choice. It is uncommon to hear of parents living with their children.