Scrutability

One of the most hackneyed Western stereotypes is that "the Chinese are inscrutable." I've never really been clear on what that's supposed to mean. I think mostly people have meant that it's hard for a Westerner to know what a Chinese person is thinking, based on what they say. Which makes sense, given the high-context nature of Chinese communication and the low-context nature of Western communication.

It turns out, though, that it's not just low-context Westerners misreading high-context Chinese. Chinese and English also differ fundamentally in how they structure information.

Linda W.L. Young's fascinating book, Crosstalk and Culture in Sino-American Communication takes a deep dive into these differences (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994). She conducted several studies, recording and transcribing spoken language, to arrive at her conclusions. The main conclusion is that when presenting a case, Chinese move from the general to the specific, while Americans move from the specific to the general. For instance, where an American might say, "I think we should hire the guy. He's right for the job," ("the point" first, backup later) a Chinese person in a similar position might say, "I think the person is right for the job. I think we should hire him" (backup first, "the point" later). No problem for such a simple case, but in complex cases, when the reasoning can get intricate, Americans often get impatient, and wonder: will he ever get to the point? The American will ascribe evasiveness or indecisiveness to the speaker, leading to even more impatience, and impugning the character of the speaker in the eyes of the American. Little good will result.

It's a familiar pattern. And once again, it's brought about by the human tendency to imagine (usually incorrectly) the intentions behind a behavior, when all we really have to go on is the behavior itself. If the American listener were aware of the information pattern Young discovered, it would go a long way to taking the charge out of the conversation, and to keeping everyone's eyes where they should be: on making the right decision for the organization.