Chinese Culture Generates Wisdom Beyond Past Fortune Cookies

Proverbs are pieces of popular wisdom packaged into a witty quip or eloquent phrase (Crystal 53). They often feature vivid images, word play, or allusions to cultural norms (Crystal 53). Proverbs are reflections of cultural norms (Briley, Morris, & Simonson 168), and in the case of China, proverbs are woven into the culture they reflect. In the introduction to the instructional language manual Teach Yourself Chinese, H.R. Williamson quotes an old Chinese proverb: 'Don't mind going slow, as long as you keep going' (Woolley 324); even in learning the language through old fashioned methods and rote memorization the author saw fit to incorporate proverbs because of how tied they are to the Chinese way of life.

Proverbs are an important and common part of every day conversation in China (Crystal 53). Proverbs are often historical in nature, and are often referred back to in seeking the foundation of an idea or principle. It is no surprise that Chinese culture, secluded and allowed to flourish unaffected by foreign powers for so long, has such a wealth of traditional proverbs. Proverbs remain after all fluffy propaganda or impressive wording is cut away, and this can be illustrated by a Chinese proverb as well: "when the water in the stream subsides the rocks will reappear" (Hummel, 1951 455). Arthur Hummell writes on basic principles in Chinese culture, and remarks on personal relations, quoting three proverbs that are well known in China as indicative of their cultural norms: "Since these intentions have been crystallized in certain proverbs, I venture to quote a few of them here; the fact that they became proverbial indicates how deeply they got embedded in the consciousness of the people" (Hummell, 1951 456). This connection shows that proverbs are central to the Chinese way of life. The author continuously peppers his writing on Chinese culture and personal interaction with proverbs. They are so common in the language it is difficult to write on the culture without using them to describe the culture, people, or mindsets: "The East side of my house," says a proverb, "is the West side of my neighbor's house" (Hummell, 1951 455).

Hummell writes that Chinese culture seems to believe that society has an obligation to make truth palatable, or less blunt, so the listener isn't automatically put on the defensive. "Frankness uncontrolled," said Confucius "is effrontery" (Hummell, 1951 456). Proverbs are more diplomatic than making a direct comment on someone's situation, and this tact is often linked to the typical Chinese dialogue and way of speaking.

Chinese culture takes a more aesthetic approach to many things, and morality and art are regarded as inseparable (Hummel, 1960 22). This can be proven by the prevalence of proverbs, which are artistic in phrasing and often use visual analogies to convey their message. In a more pragmatic sense, many morals and principles that anindividual possesses are derivedfrom proverbs (Briley, Morris, & Simonson 158). The Chinese culture uses proverbs heavily which can be interpreted that many people within the culture share similar views. This can be linked to China's collectivist outlook in contrast to America's individualistic trend. China's culture is honored by the use of proverbs in their own language and by other culture's usage of their sayings.

Works Cited

Crystal, David. "The Equality of Languages." The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. 2nd ed. 1 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1997.

Woolley, L.G. "Studying Chinese Today." The Modern Language Journal 41.7(1957): 324-329.

Hummel, Arthur W. "Some Basic Principles in Chinese Culture." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 95.4(1951): 453-456.

Hummel, Arthur W. "The Art of Social Relations in China." Philosophy East and West 10.1/2(1960): 13-22.

Briley, Donnel A., Michael W. Morris, and Itamar Simonson. "Reasons as Carriers of Culture: Dynamic versus Dispositional Models of Cultural Influence on Decision Making." Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. 27(2000): 157-178.