台灣人很保守嗎? Are Taiwanese Conservative?
When people ask me, “Are Taiwanese conservative?” my answer would be, “Yes.” Though changes have occurred and society may be a bit more open, the minds of most Taiwanese have not progressed much.
A recent survey shows that Taiwan has the highest rate of teenage mothers (15-19 years old). While some people might think the survey proves that Taiwanese people, especially the young generation, are far from conservative, the fact is, that issue doesn’t have anything to do with being conservative or not. It merely reflects the lack of correct information in regard to sex.
Taiwanese people have always been known to be diligent and honest. However, these qualities seem to have also affected the broadening and upgrading of Taiwanese minds. My 65-year-old grandmother is a nice little old lady, but she always picks on my clothing and hairstyle. As she says of my fashionable oversized jeans, “oh, those jeans don’t look good, you should make them shorter, that would make you look much more like a gentleman!” The point is, most Taiwanese people are not able to accept new thoughts and new ideas, and they do not know how to respect others’ right to do what they want.
Our policies and laws reflect the same conservativeness. In fact, the law makers and officials of Taiwan are the most conservative. These well-educated and wealthy people do not know the importance of respecting the diversified society that Taiwan is becoming. They always interfere in the rights of the people, restricting this and that, never showing any respect for those who are different from the mainstream. Gay people, for example, are still not well-protected in Taiwan. There are no laws to protect them when discrimination occurs. What’s even worse, no officials dare to talk about that issue, so making a law to protect homosexuals still seems a long way to go. Likewise, freedom of speech is not protected in Taiwan. Recently, the president of a Buddhist university was fired because he wrote an article about lust and Buddhism, which was against the founder’s religious conviction. Obviously, even academic freedom is lacking in Taiwan.
If Taiwan hopes to be considered among the ranks of developed countries, the minds and concepts of Taiwanese people must be broadened and upgraded soon. It makes no sense to blame our ancestors for what we are today. It is time to change and reform our thoughts. A diverse society should welcome and respect the great variety of new thoughts and ideas that are reaching our shores today.
When people ask me, “Are Taiwanese conservative?” my answer would be, “Yes.” Though changes have occurred and society may be a bit more open, the minds of most Taiwanese have not progressed much.
A recent survey shows that Taiwan has the highest rate of teenage mothers (15-19 years old). While some people might think the survey proves that Taiwanese people, especially the young generation, are far from conservative, the fact is, that issue doesn’t have anything to do with being conservative or not. It merely reflects the lack of correct information in regard to sex.
Taiwanese people have always been known to be diligent and honest. However, these qualities seem to have also affected the broadening and upgrading of Taiwanese minds. My 65-year-old grandmother is a nice little old lady, but she always picks on my clothing and hairstyle. As she says of my fashionable oversized jeans, “oh, those jeans don’t look good, you should make them shorter, that would make you look much more like a gentleman!” The point is, most Taiwanese people are not able to accept new thoughts and new ideas, and they do not know how to respect others’ right to do what they want.
Our policies and laws reflect the same conservativeness. In fact, the law makers and officials of Taiwan are the most conservative. These well-educated and wealthy people do not know the importance of respecting the diversified society that Taiwan is becoming. They always interfere in the rights of the people, restricting this and that, never showing any respect for those who are different from the mainstream. Gay people, for example, are still not well-protected in Taiwan. There are no laws to protect them when discrimination occurs. What’s even worse, no officials dare to talk about that issue, so making a law to protect homosexuals still seems a long way to go. Likewise, freedom of speech is not protected in Taiwan. Recently, the president of a Buddhist university was fired because he wrote an article about lust and Buddhism, which was against the founder’s religious conviction. Obviously, even academic freedom is lacking in Taiwan.
If Taiwan hopes to be considered among the ranks of developed countries, the minds and concepts of Taiwanese people must be broadened and upgraded soon. It makes no sense to blame our ancestors for what we are today. It is time to change and reform our thoughts. A diverse society should welcome and respect the great variety of new thoughts and ideas that are reaching our shores today.