My theory is that introspection is generally discouraged since it leads to having different opinions and it's literally a crime to have different opinions on certain topics, so the introspective people pretend they're not thinking, avoid thinking or have the introspection beaten out of them by elders who remember the days where people got gulag'd for thinking too much.
Some people are really cheeky about it in a morbid way, though. I teach elementary school and I had a student once ask me if I'd been to Tiananmen square and then suddenly laugh in a way that clearly indicated he knew what I was thinking when he made that reference. This kid has frequently asked me about VPNs and other things that throw me off. There's hope with this one, right?
If you want to get Real Talk about China, then talk to a Chinese Christian. They may not say things they want to see in public but if you chill with them in a place they're comfortable they often are pretty forthcoming about their feelings about the government. I try not to ask too much since you never know if someone might be listening and gets your friend gulag'd.
The thing that this thread reminds me though is that information about China is so thin on the ground outside of China. I really wish the CCP was more forthcoming about stats. We have a general rule about China and Chinese statistics:
Anything published by the CCP is bullshit/propaganda made to look the CCP look better. They'll very rarely release data themselves that does not paint them in a good light.
I don't say this to be pessimistic, but it's just something to remember as you move forward in understanding one of the world's rising economies.
Anyway, I don't mean to be pedantic or condescending, I just find China to be an endlessly fascinating topic.
Some people are really cheeky about it in a morbid way, though. I teach elementary school and I had a student once ask me if I'd been to Tiananmen square and then suddenly laugh in a way that clearly indicated he knew what I was thinking when he made that reference. This kid has frequently asked me about VPNs and other things that throw me off. There's hope with this one, right?
If you want to get Real Talk about China, then talk to a Chinese Christian. They may not say things they want to see in public but if you chill with them in a place they're comfortable they often are pretty forthcoming about their feelings about the government. I try not to ask too much since you never know if someone might be listening and gets your friend gulag'd.
The thing that this thread reminds me though is that information about China is so thin on the ground outside of China. I really wish the CCP was more forthcoming about stats. We have a general rule about China and Chinese statistics:
Anything published by the CCP is bullshit/propaganda made to look the CCP look better. They'll very rarely release data themselves that does not paint them in a good light.
I don't say this to be pessimistic, but it's just something to remember as you move forward in understanding one of the world's rising economies.
Anyway, I don't mean to be pedantic or condescending, I just find China to be an endlessly fascinating topic.
I will be checking my PMs weekly, so you can catch me there. I will not be posting.