The following post was pulled from Harris’ previous blog. While the post may not be current, it was re-posted here based on the high amount of feedback and comments received.

As most of you know, Katie and I just returned from spending two weeks in China. (I actually have a good excuse for going two weeks without writing this time.)

While there is much I learned while experiencing Chinese culture, (like the fact that there are 1.2 Billion people who have never been told the truth), one of the most significant things that fascinated me was the acceptance of shallow relationships. What’s ironic is why their relationships are so shallow. It’s called “Saving Face.”

To “save face” means that you share nothing about yourself that would show weakness. That means that transparency is frowned upon. For example, someone from China could have had the worse disagreement and argument with their spouse that they’ve ever had, but the moment that person is in public, a smile is plastered on their face. Does any of this sound familiar?

They’re also obsessed with prosperity. That means that if you have lunch or dinner with someone in a restaurant, but don’t have any money, you still pay. In China, it’s incredibly difficult to get someone to allow you to buy their food. Everyone wants to be prosperous, and even if they aren’t, they want to appear that way. Anything sound familiar now? READ ALL