China and US: Virtue is Found in The Middle

In Beijing our guide proudly escorted us through palaces and monuments of China's glorious past and around examples of their unlimited potential. She consistently spoke about how the government was moving to correct corruption and even referenced, though in veiled language, some of the challenges they face. Yet when speaking about the government, the country, or even herself she consistently used the pronoun "we." She embodied a "collective" mindset and provides a key learning point for all of us struggling to create a place where everyone can achieve their personal greatness.

We focus in this country on individuality. From the creation of the Constitution we emphasized the rights of the individual. This fosters an atmosphere where whatever is right for me is the most important thing. The state's responsibility is to protect my rights so that I can grow as an individual. This differentiation from others has it's place. It is part of the natural healthy psychological growth of any child. Yet have we taken it too far?

Current society offers us the iphone, ipad, moble me, (emphasis on "I" or "me"). We can eat individually by "having it my way," or with a "personal pan pizza." We are invited to create our own "personal home page" on many online sites and the news sites allow us to personalize the news we read. Mostly everything we read, eat, or do allows us to individualize in some form or another.

Yet the reality exists that we are a community. We have laws and societal standards which assist our growth, stability and functioning as a collective. This collective thinking is singularly important when developing the possibility of all people to discover and attain their personal greatness. What are we doing as a society to help all people move toward that goal? Are we willing to assist others, and occasionally compromise so that others can also succeed?

These are hard questions and they come with balance. In collective cultures, such as China, there is little place for the development of the individual outside what they can provide for the collective whole (though this is changing as I write this). What occurs is a society where almost everyone is working for the common good of all. What it doesn't foster is the development of the powers of each individual to be independently creative, critical and opportunistic. Conversely we have a society where we encourage individuality to the point that many people focus solely on their personal gain to the detriment of society.

Augustine of Hippo once stated "virtue is found in the middle." Developing individual strengths and personality is essential to the natural psychological growth of any individual and assists the whole society. But additionally it is necessary to have moments of compromise and agreement so that the society as a whole can thrive and foster each individual's personal greatness. Growth toward personal greatness cannot be found solely by focusing on "I" but by balancing our personal needs with the needs of the group and also focusing on "we." The balance is key and creates a place where everyone can grow and thrive.

China: Does Size Really Matter?

Towering, hulking walls welcome and intimidate the visitor to the "Forbidden City" in the heart of Beijing China. Home of Chinese royalty for generations this massive city structure highlights the grandeur of the emperors and stands in sharp contrast from the People's Congress across the 16 lane street in front of the main gate. From the Great Wall, to Tienanmen Square (which holds 1 million people) to the Summer Palace and the massive airport, China builds everything on a huge scale. But does size really matter to greatness? That depends.

Working in Beijing last week (which is why I couldn't blog since this blog is blocked) I took time to visit some of the main tourist sites of the city. Though it was my second time there I am still amazed at the enormity of so many aspects of the city. There are 6 "ring" roads around the city and though they are fairly large highways, the traffic is mostly congested. But Beijing needs these ring roads because the city is 7,000 square miles. Even aside from the traditional tourist attractions, the modern architecture is stunning. One complex of buildings is shaped as a massive dragon boat and another, under construction, looked like an immense whirlpool. But does it matter?

There is a pride the Chinese have for this city of emperors and it is right they have it. Thousands of years of proud history compel and propel these people forward and they still want to make their mark. This is a foundation of greatness - believing you have the history and the ability to impact your world, whether it is your neighborhood, or your country. They still want to be a great nation and they try to inspire their citizens to work toward that goal. That is something we can learn from.

However size always presents the challenge to nimbleness. We live in an age where ideas are being created and  disseminated  rapidly and globally. Technology advances have increased the speed of change. I'm not advocating that speed is always good, but when everything you do is on a large and grand scale, change comes slowly. Having ages of history creates pride, but when time is measured in centuries, decisions can be slow in coming.

The balance for any country, or person, is to have pride in your history, the struggles, the successes and even the failures. That foundation impels us to move forward just as our ancestors did. Yet, we need to find the space to change sometimes in small increments as we move toward personal greatness, or national greatness.

So, size does matter. It just needs to be balanced to achieve greatness.