I was in Shanghai the other day and was just people-watching. I was observing Chinese people of all demographics, and they all seemed comfortable. I relate this experience to my time in Japan to say that many people of all demographics were also comfortable. What I mean by being “comfortable” is being a part of the system and society without much hesitation – things are easy. You’ll see that there are interviews out there asking those native to Japan and China whether they’d like to leave their country and move to somewhere like the US. I find those interviews interesting because a response I’ve noted and witnessed in real life is that while they express a desire to move to another country, they are very comfortable. They are tethered to their home country by the level of comfort they feel and the discomfort they anticipate when going somewhere else.
In these countries, things just work well. When one is brought up in a homogenous society as one of those people, things are mostly figured out and straightforward. You’re in the ecosystem and you don’t have many if any, predators. Why leave it?
Being comfortable. I’m not sure I’m a fan of it for two reasons.
I would like to argue that the more homogenous a society is, the more comfortable it will be. Because people are more similar in terms of lifestyle, language, culture, and beliefs, the audience is more consistent and easier to satisfy and make more comfortable. Taking China and Japan for example, two major powerhouses of technology and production in general, they make products for their own people. Yes, there are exports and imports, but I want to take a look at products made specifically for the Chinese user in mind. Taking 美团，淘宝，高德地图 for example. These are apps that we use in China that can be a nightmare for foreigners to use due to it being sensory overload in a language that isn’t our first, and we’d make purchases on this app. When you can understand, however, these apps give the user so much information and make their lives more convenient. A bouquet for that special someone you forgot to buy earlier, delivered in 30 minutes for a bargain on 美团. Buying a customized birthday gift for someone on 淘宝. Taking a taxi or a metro, or driving yourself, or even buying a night’s stay at a hotel on 高德地图. It’s amazing. It’s very comfortable when you get it, but when you don’t…you’re lost.
This true comfort is only achieved when you’re born and bred into society. For us international students and tourists, we won’t get there.
That is my first problem with stuff like this in a homogenous society. Things like these apps are so widespread because of the large, similar population. However, this is just another way for foreigners to feel excluded. It makes the idea of assimilation and true cultural immersion more far off.
I think that this idea of comfort also permeates into different areas of life. Rarely have I met a Chinese student outside of DKU that is as ambitious. They seem comfortable working their small job at a café and being an arts student or something else. Their lives seem comfortable and set already.
This is an observation from a small sample size. DKU Chinese students are a bit different – maybe that’s because they’re in an international, uncomfortable, environment.
Being uncomfortable is important for self-growth. This is my second issue with comfort, as it can stunt growth. What I notice is that in more homogenous countries, where being comfortable is more easily achieved, it will stunt true growth and character. Things are already figured out, straightforward, and easy.
Don’t get me wrong…I like easy things. But I also value growth and change, both of which are not easily achievable.
