East and West

There is a new buzzword in marketing, advertising, and generally anything business-related in China, “活人感” (lit. sense of the living). It is a mix of brand personality and a pushback against the “dead internet theory”.

By the Song dynasty (960 – 1279), the spiritual essence of fishing became deeply intertwined with Daoist philosophy, particularly the concept of Wu Wei (无为), or “non-action.” Rather than passivity, it advocates for effortless action, aligning with the natural flow of the universe instead of forcing outcomes through struggle.

“Ancient Chinese literati didn’t fish to eat,” says Cao, echoing the classic wisdom. “They fished to cultivate patience, to observe nature’s rhythms, and to achieve that perfect balance between action and inaction.”

In China, things often do circle back to the ancestral obsession with saving face. Everyone from the bottom up to the top leaders save face if there’s no written record to refer back to.

I learned the phrase 三观不一致 - three values are incompatible, namely 人生观 (What are you looking for in life? What is meaningful to you?)，世界观 (How do you fundamentally view the world? How do you operate within it?), and 价值观 (How do you define justice? What’s your relationship with money?) It’s not a matter of lack of love, or different hobbies, or... See more

W informs me that Chinese people love to 吹牛 - the psychological need to project wealth (or ability).