Harvard students by the hundreds are now studying ancient Chinese philosophy, for success & better lives

Why hundreds of Harvard students now studying ancient Chinese philosophy to change their lives for the better?  

How to be truly successful and enjoy a balanced life of tranquility? Let us learn from the world's oldest living civilization with over 5,000 years of recorded history. The wisdom of ancient Chinese philosophy and Confucian moral teachings offer the rest of the world priceless insights, more non-Chinese like hundreds of Harvard University students in the United States are learning all these nowadays. It is not only the "economic miracle" of China and Asia which should be the reason for us to study Chinese culture, but its unique Chinese philosophy and diverse ideas.

Let me share this interesting article from The Atlantic authored by Christine Gross-Loh on October 8, 2013: 

Image below of America's oldest and most prestigious Harvard University, sourced from www.top10rankings.org 

Below is image of Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat playing the role of the great teacher and philosopher Confucius, image sourced from www.seeraa.com  

Why Are Hundreds of Harvard Students Studying Ancient Chinese Philosophy?

The professor who teaches Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory claims, "This course will change your life."

BY: CHRISTINE GROSS-LOH OCT 8 2013, 10:49 AM ET

Picture a world where human relationships are challenging, narcissism and self-centeredness are on the rise, and there is disagreement on the best way for people to live harmoniously together.

It sounds like 21st-century America. But the society that Michael Puett, a tall, 48-year-old bespectacled professor of Chinese history at Harvard University, is describing to more than 700 rapt undergraduates is China, 2,500 years ago.

Puett's course Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory has become the third most popular course at the university. The only classes with higher enrollment are Intro to Economics and Intro to Computer Science. The second time Puett offered it, in 2007, so many students crowded into the assigned room that they were sitting on the stairs and stage and spilling out into the hallway. Harvard moved the class to Sanders Theater, the biggest venue on campus.

Prof. Michael Puett, image below sourced from  ealc.fas.harvard.edu

Why are so many undergraduates spending a semester poring over abstruse Chinese philosophy by scholars who lived thousands of years ago? For one thing, the class fulfills one of Harvard's more challenging core requirements, Ethical Reasoning. It's clear, though, that students are also lured in by Puett's bold promise: “This course will change your life.”

His students tell me it is true: that Puett uses Chinese philosophy as a way to give undergraduates concrete, counter-intuitive, and even revolutionary ideas, which teach them how to live a better life.  Elizabeth Malkin, a student in the course last year, says, “The class absolutely changed my perspective of myself, my peers, and of the way I view the world.” Puett puts a fresh spin on the questions that Chinese scholars grappled with centuries ago. He requires his students to closely read original texts (in translation) such as Confucius’s Analects, the Mencius, and the Daodejing and then actively put the teachings into practice in their daily lives. His lectures use Chinese thought in the context of contemporary American life to help 18- and 19-year-olds who are struggling to find their place in the world figure out how to be good human beings; how to create a good society; how to have a flourishing life.

Puett began offering his course to introduce his students not just to a completely different cultural worldview but also to a different set of tools. He told me he is seeing more students who are “feeling pushed onto a very specific path towards very concrete career goals” than he did when he began teaching nearly 20 years ago.  A recent report shows a steep decline over the last decade in the number of Harvard students who are choosing to major in the humanities, a trend roughly seen across the nation’s liberal arts schools. Finance remains the most popular career for Harvard graduates. Puett sees students who orient all their courses and even their extracurricular activities towards practical, predetermined career goals and plans.

Prof. Michael Puett of Harvard, image below sourced from  www.asia-institute.org

Puett tells his students that being calculating and rationally deciding on plans is precisely the wrong way to make any sort of important life decision. The Chinese philosophers they are reading would say that this strategy makes it harder to remain open to other possibilities that don’t fit into that plan. Students who do this “are not paying enough attention to the daily things that actually invigorate and inspire them, out of which could come a really fulfilling, exciting life,” he explains. If what excites a student is not the same as what he has decided is best for him, he becomes trapped on a misguided path, slated to begin an unfulfilling career. Puett aims to open his students’ eyes to a different way to approach everything from relationships to career decisions. He teaches them that: 

The smallest actions have the most profound ramifications. Confucius, Mencius, and other Chinese philosophers taught that the most mundane actions can have a ripple effect, and Puett urges his students to become more self-aware, to notice how even the most quotidian acts—holding open the door for someone, smiling at the grocery clerk—change the course of the day by affecting how we feel.

That rush of good feeling that comes after a daily run, the inspiring conversation with a good friend, or the momentary flash of anger that arises when someone cuts in front of us in line—what could they have to do with big life matters? Everything, actually. From a Chinese philosophical point of view, these small daily experiences provide us endless opportunities to understand ourselves. When we notice and understand what makes us tick, react, feel joyful or angry, we develop a better sense of who we are that helps us when approaching new situations. Mencius, a late Confucian thinker (4th century B.C.E.), taught that if you cultivate your better nature in these small ways, you can become an extraordinary person with an incredible influence, altering your own life as well as that of those around you, until finally “you can turn the whole world in the palm of your hand.”

Recent research into neuroscience is confirming that the Chinese philosophers are correct: Brain scans reveal that our unconscious awareness of emotions and phenomena around us are actually what drive the decisions we believe we are making with such logical rationality. According to Marianne LaFrance, a psychology professor at Yale, if we see a happy face for just a fraction of a second (4 milliseconds to be exact), that’s long enough to elicit a mini emotional high. In one study viewers who were flashed a smile—even though it was shown too quickly for them to even realize they had seen it—perceived the things around them more positively.

Decisions are made from the heart. Americans tend to believe that humans are rational creatures who make decisions logically, using our brains. But in Chinese, the word for “mind” and “heart” are the same. Puett teaches that the heart and the mind are inextricably linked, and that one does not exist without the other. Whenever we make decisions, from the prosaic to the profound (what to make for dinner; which courses to take next semester; what career path to follow; whom to marry), we will make better ones when we intuit how to integrate heart and mind and let our rational and emotional sides blend into one.  Zhuangzi, a Daoist philosopher, taught that we should train ourselves to become “spontaneous” through daily living, rather than closing ourselves off through what we think of as rational decision-making. In the same way that one deliberately practices the piano in order to eventually play it effortlessly, through our everyday activities we train ourselves to become more open to experiences and phenomena so that eventually the right responses and decisions come spontaneously, without angst, from the heart-mind.

If the body leads, the mind will follow. Behaving kindly (even when you are not feeling kindly), or smiling at someone (even if you aren’t feeling particularly friendly at the moment) can cause actual differences in how you end up feeling and behaving, even ultimately changing the outcome of a situation.

While all this might sound like hooey-wooey self-help, much of what Puett teaches is previously accepted cultural wisdom that has been lost in the modern age. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do,” a view shared by thinkers such as Confucius, who taught that the importance of rituals lies in how they inculcate a certain sensibility in a person.  In research published in Psychological Science, social psychologist Amy Cuddy and her colleagues found that when we take a power stance (stand with our legs apart, arms thrust out, taking up space), the pose does not only cause other people to view us as more confident and powerful; it actually causes a hormonal surge that makes us become more confident.

At the end of each class, Puett challenges his students to put the Chinese philosophy they have been learning into tangible practice in their everyday lives. “The Chinese philosophers we read taught that the way to really change lives for the better is from a very mundane level, changing the way people experience and respond to the world, so what I try to do is to hit them at that level. I’m not trying to give my students really big advice about what to do with their lives. I just want to give them a sense of what they can do daily to transform how they live.” Their assignments are small ones: to first observe how they feel when they smile at a stranger, hold open a door for someone, engage in a hobby. He asks them to take note of what happens next: how every action, gesture, or word dramatically affects how others respond to them. Then Puett asks them to pursue more of the activities that they notice arouse positive, excited feelings. In their papers and discussion sections students discuss what it means to live life according to the teachings of these philosophers.

Once they’ve understood themselves better and discovered what they love to do they can then work to become adept at those activities through ample practice and self-cultivation. Self-cultivation is related to another classical Chinese concept: that effort is what counts the most, more than talent or aptitude. We aren’t limited to our innate talents; we all have enormous potential to expand our abilities if we cultivate them. You don’t have to be stuck doing what you happen to be good at; merely pay attention to what you love and proceed from there. Chinese philosophers taught that paying attention to small clues “can literally change everything that we can become as human beings,” says Puett.  

To be interconnected, focus on mundane, everyday practices, and understand that great things begin with the very smallest of acts are radical ideas for young people living in a society that pressures them to think big and achieve individual excellence. This might be one reason why, according to the Chronicle for Higher Education, interest in Chinese philosophy is taking off around the nation—not just at Harvard. And it’s a message that’s especially resonating with those yearning for an alternative to the fast track they have been on all their lives.

One of Puett’s former students, Adam Mitchell, was a math and science whiz who went to Harvard intending to major in economics. At Harvard specifically and in society in general, he told me, “we’re expected to think of our future in this rational way: to add up the pros and cons and then make a decision. That leads you down the road of ‘Stick with what you’re good at’”—a road with little risk but little reward. But after his introduction to Chinese philosophy during his sophomore year, he realized this wasn’t the only way to think about the future. Instead, he tried courses he was drawn to but wasn’t naturally adroit at because he had learned how much value lies in working hard to become better at what you love. He became more aware of the way he was affected by those around him, and how they were affected by his own actions in turn. Mitchell threw himself into foreign language learning, feels his relationships have deepened, and is today working towards a master’s degree in regional studies. He told me, “I can happily say that Professor Puett lived up to his promise, that the course did in fact change my life.”

CHRISTINE GROSS-LOH is the author of Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us (Avery, 2013)

Image below of Confucius quotation in ancient Chinese calligraphy and its English translation, sourced from www.chilture.com

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it --- Confucius

My Comments:

We should heed the wisdom of Asia's great philosopher and moral teacher Confucius.

'Suffering and deprivation is good for the soul.' Quote A timely and very down-to-earth message which does not "comfort" only the Singaporeans, but this could benefit all of us. It's not because she is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew and not because she is a well-established medical doctor in neuroscience, but as a rightful citizen of Singapore who shares its obligation and responsibility. There may be policy issues which we disagree with how Singapore is being "run" or "managed". The message delivered here however does reflect where we are now - sitting in the midst of this financial turmoil and where we are going! Please do yourself a favor. Do read to the end. A nice and touching article to read. Plenty of foods for thought. This letter is beautifully "crafted" in English. It is a shining example of how English should be "written". Unquote This message was forwarded to me via email yesterday by Chinese Commercial News Publisher Solomon Yuyitung, including the Prof. Lee Wei Ling essay. Thanks! Philippine Star columnist William "Billy" M.  Esposo also shared this Prof. Lee essay in his column on March 8, 2009 with the following words: What we can learn from Lee Kuan Yew's daughter "Ever since my sister Dorothy was based in Singapore, following her appointment as the ASEAN Regional Head of Bayer Corporate Communications some five years ago, my wife and I found ourselves visiting her there occasionally. "Every time I land in Singapore, I could not help but notice how much we have been left behind. At the time when Lee Kuan Yew, now Minister Mentor, was struggling to stabilize the new State of Singapore, the Philippine economy was ranked second only to Japan in Asia. Now, we cannot even claim to be second in ASEAN. (Photograph of Singapore Skyline #12 by Christopher Chan, sourced from website photographyblogger.net) "Recently, the year-end message of the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, Associate Professor Lee Wei Ling, caught my attention. It was Professor Lee’s 2007 message to her staff at the National Neuroscience Institute where she is a Director. Published in their newspaper and posted online by the Sunday Times of Singapore last January 4, the message was forwarded to me by my good friend, former Senator Jun Magsaysay. "I found this message to be loaded with the values that former Prime Minister Lee  Kuan Yew has espoused — values that formed the core of the Singapore success story. "The superb statecraft that made Singapore successful is a mere reflection of the values its leaders lived by. Associate Professor Lee’s message underscored the good values of austerity, frugality, concern for the poor, civic consciousness and social responsibility that transformed a city State like Singapore into a modern financial center of Asia. "How come our leaders neither epitomize nor espouse those good values? How come our people, especially our youth, tend to pick up bad lessons from our leaders instead?

"Let me now share that values loaded message with you."

Article written by Lee Wei Ling

In 2007, in an end-of-year message to the staff of the National Neuroscience Institute, I wrote:

'Whilst boom time in the public sector is never as booming as in the private sector, let us not forget that boom time is eventually followed by slump time. Slump time in the public sector is always less painful compared to the private sector.'  

Slump time has arrived with a bang.  

While I worry about the poorer Singaporeans who will be hit hard, perhaps this recession has come at an opportune time for many of us. It will give us an incentive to reconsider our priorities in life.  

Decades of the good life have made us soft. The wealthy especially, but also the middle class in Singapore, have had it so good for so long, what they once considered luxuries, they now think of as necessities.

  

A mobile phone, for instance, is now a statement about who you are, not just a piece of equipment for communication. Hence many people buy the latest model though their existing mobile phones are still in perfect w orking order.  

A Mercedes-Benz is no longer adequate as a status symbol. For millionaires who wish to show the world they have taste, a Ferrari or a Porsche is deemed more appropriate.  

 The same attitude influences the choice of attire and accessories. I still find it hard to believe that there are people carrying handbags that cost more than thrice the monthly income of a bus driver, and many more times that of the foreign worker labouring in the hot sun, risking his life to construct luxury condominiums he will never have a chance to live in.  

The media encourages and amplifies this ostentatious consumption. Perhaps it is good to encourage people to spend more because this will prevent the recession from getting worse. I am not an economist, but wasn't that the root cause of the current crisis - Americans spending more than they could afford to?  

I am not a particularly spiritual person. I don't believe in the supernatural and I don't think I have a soul that will survive my death. But as I view the crass materialism around me, I am reminded of what my mother once told me:  'Suffering and deprivation is good for the soul.'  

 My family is not poor, but we have been brought up to be frugal.. My parents and I live in the same house that my paternal grandparents and their children moved into after World War II in 1945. It is a big house by today's standards, but it is simple - in fact, almost to the point of being shabby.  

Those who see it for the first time are astonished that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's home is so humble. But it is a comfortable house, a home we have got used to. Though it does look shabby compared to the new mansions on our street, we are not bothered by the comparison. 

(The British colonial era 5-bedrooms bungalow house of Lee Kuan Yew was built a century ago by a Jewish merchant)
 

(This photo of Lee Kuan Yew's living room in 38 Oaxley Road is courtesy of Zhaobao newspaper)

(Another photo of the Lee Kuan Yew house, from the blog of Jessica Zafra)




Most of the world and much of Singapore will lament the economic downturn. We have been told to tighten our belts. There will undoubtedly be suffering, which we must try our best to ameliorate. 

But I personally think the hard times will hold a timely lesson for many Singaporeans, especially those born after 1970 who have never lived through difficult times.  

 No matter how poor you are in Singapore , the authorities and social groups do try to ensure you have shelter and food. Nobody starves in Singapore ..  

Many of those who are currently living in mansions and enjoying a luxurious lifestyle will probably still be able to do so, even if they might have to downgrade from wines costing $20,000 a bottle to $10,000 a bottle. They would hardly notice the difference. 

 

 Being wealthy is not a sin. It cannot be in a capitalist market economy. Enjoying the fruits of one's own labour is one's prerogative and I have no right to chastise those who choose to live luxuriously.  

But if one is blinded by materialism, there would be no end to wanting and hankering. After the Ferrari, what next? An Aston Martin? After the Hermes Birkin handbag, what can one upgrade to?  

Neither an Aston Martin nor an Hermes Birkin can make us truly happy or contented.. They are like dust, a fog obscuring the true mean ing of life, and can be blown away in the twinkling of an eye. 

 

When the end approaches and we look back on our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lived lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill, that we have helped some of our fellow voyagers along the way and that we have tried our best to leave this world a slightly better place than how we found it?  

We know which is the correct choice - and it is within our power to make that choice.  

 In this new year, burdened as it is with the problems of the year that has just ended, let us again try to choose wisely.  

To a considerable degree, our happiness is within our own control, and we should not follow the herd blindly.  

 The writer is director of Singapore's National Neuroscience Institute. And also Lee Kuan Yew's daughter...

Why are Chinese entrepreneurs successful? I am posting a column I had written in the Philippine Star newspaper over two years ago. (Below is an image of the early overseas Chinese traders of the Qing dynasty in Southeast Asia, who used the ababus for their quick and efficient computations) Bull Market, Bull Sheet By Wilson Lee Flores The Philippine Star February 22, 2010

The beginnings of Philippine capitalism: A Chinese trader sells his wares.

The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it.                — Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies


Nobody talks about entrepreneurship as survival, but that’s exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking. Running that first shop taught me business is not financial science; it’s about trading: buying and selling.                    — Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop



One of the most dynamic and gutsiest ladies I have ever met was my neighbor here in The Philippine STAR’s Business Life section, Josefina “Josie” Trinidad Lichauco. She was an honors graduate of the University of the Philippines (UP) Law School with a master’s degree from Yale University. She was outspoken in her crusade against the excessive political corruption in Philippine society.

During social occasions when I would see her, she would always greet me and chat, telling me that we should one time talk at length about politics, economics and art over lunch or dinner. The last time that she talked to me was when she called via cell phone, and she told me she’d like to invite me to see the oil paintings bequeathed to her by her late dad, stockbroker and art collector Don Anselmo Trinidad, at her condo in The Fort. She knew that I admire art.

I hope our leaders competing in the May elections will emulate Josie Lichauco’s intelligence, guts, idealism, devotion to family, sense of humor and integrity.

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(Chinese characters for "business" pronounced as "seng yi" in Mandarin)



On Feb. 13 on the eve of Chinese Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day, DZMM radio station’s Teleradyo hosts Carl Balita and Chinkee Tan invited me for an interview about Chinese entrepreneurial success secrets and practices. Here are some of the interesting questions from the hosts and their listeners’ phoned-in queries, I have also added some questions e-mailed by Philippine STAR readers:

• Why are many Chinese entrepreneurs seemingly masungit (unfriendly)?

I think it is not so much being unfriendly as it is being too serious. I believe ethnic Chinese people are like the Germans of Europe or the Jews of New York, who are by nature too serious in disposition, and so striking other people as “unfriendly.”

In stark contrast, non-Chinese Filipinos of Malay heritage are generally happier in disposition and more easygoing. In fact, compared to other island-nation peoples of Southeast Asia, the Philippines has been surveyed to be among “the happiest people” in the region. In Europe, Germans in general are considered “unfriendly” but actually are just more serious than the more easygoing Greeks or Italians of southern Europe.

(Jewish Traders and Merchants, Printed by Auguste Bry Giclee Print.This giclée print delivers a vivid image with maximum color accuracy and exceptional resolution ideal for museums or galleries.)



On the Chinese being masungit, I wish to add that there’s also regional differences in disposition among ethnic Chinese, similar to Ilocanos being considered different in temperament to Kapampangans or Ilonggos. One stark example are the Cantonese Chinese of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province, who are considered masungit by the more easygoing Hokkien or south Fujian people who predominate the Chinese communities of Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia.

By the way, Cantonese Chinese are also more aggressive, gutsy, and cook better Chinese food than many of us of Hokkien, Min-nan or south Fujian heritage. Even the Cantonese dialect of Hong Kong sounds similar to Germanic languages compared to our Hokkien or Min-nan dialect, which the native Taiwanese call the “Taiwanese” dialect.

• Why are many of the Chinese in the Philippines and Southeast Asia in business?

(Images of early Chinese traders in Spanish colonial era Philippines)





During the colonial era when the Spanish people ruled the Philippines for 333 years, our archipelago was a very feudal agrarian economy with virtually no trade, commerce or real industry. The Spaniards monopolized political and religious power, plus vast landholdings called haciendas, while the local Tagalogs, Cebuanos, Ilocanos and other peoples were mostly either farmers or fishermen.

The Chinese sojourners were outsiders to this feudal setup. The Chinese were called called “Intsik” in Tagalog. It originated from the Hokkien term “In-Tsyak,” or “uncle,” thus the Cojuangcos’ revered clan founder was called “Intsik Jose” by locals and “Inkong” Jose by family members (“Ingkong” being the Hokkien word for “grandfather”).  The early Chinese were also called “Sangleyes” by the Spaniards.


(Image below of the invitation card of the Association of Young Filipino Chinese Entrepreneurs to their 20th anniversary dinner reception at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City, Metro Manila, the Philippines in 2012 which shows a picture of traditional junk boats used by early overseas Chinese migrants who sojourned from China to Southeast Asia and other parts of the world in search of economic opportunities)

The Chinese who came could not go into farming because local peoples were already the farmers, and they were not allowed to own land; they were also for generations barred from becoming lawyers or professionals, so many of the Chinese started out as laborers, craftsmen, artisans and later became traders who pioneered the beginnings of Philippine capitalism, according to economist Dr. Bernardo Villegas in his essay in the Ayala family history book.

Like the Jewish minorities of medieval-era Europe, who often acted as middlemen traders and moneylenders between the landed aristocracy and the general public, the Chinese minority in the colonial Philippine society often acted as apolitical middlemen traders and financiers, too.

(Artistic image of Jewish moneylenders in year 1270 of medieval France)



(Below is a miniature painting gothic art of Jewish moneylenders, circa 14th century, in the British Museum)





• Why are many Chinese entrepreneurs worldwide, from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other places quite successful?

I believe the traditional Confucian values of hard work, self-discipline, delayed self-gratification for the sake of long-term future benefits, frugality, a high importance placed on education, xiao-sun or filial piety of total obedience and reverence for ancestors and parents, are important factors in entrepreneurial success.

The only times when ethnic Chinese societies floundered economically were those times when the governments were extremely corrupt, causing political instability, or during the radical anti-business periods of Mao Zedong’s leftist Cultural Revolution, which tried to suppress personal initiatives and entrepreneurial spirit.

(The ancient philosopher and teacher Confucius, whose teachings influenced much of East Asia)



(The Taipei Confucius Temple in Taiwan on September 28, the birthday of the great teacher)




(Confucius monument in Jurong Gardens, Singapore)




• Can non-Chinese Filipinos be similar to the Chinese entrepreneurs of Asia?

Yes, because all of us are Asians, and I believe traditional Filipino values should exorcise the negative cultural influences of the Spanish colonizers that are very bad for free enterprise, such as the notorious “mañana (tomorrow) habit,” the wrongly labeled “Filipino time,” the excesses of the siesta or fiesta habits.

Proof that cultural and attitudinal change can be possible are the eight million or more overseas Filipino workers and migrants scattered worldwide who are diligent in their professions. I hope the Philippines as a society will not forget that we are geographically in Asia. We should rediscover our Asian roots and learn from our many neighbors in East Asia.

(A special lane for overseas Filipino workers in Philippine airports)



• Is it true that Chinese entrepreneurs always help each other and cooperate?

This is a misconception, to a certain degree. Chinese entrepreneurs do help others if one is part of my network of suppliers, creditors, or customers. For example, in the early 20th century, my grandfather Lee Tay assisted migrant workers from his native barrio of Chio-Chun Village who had the same Lee/Dee/Dy surname in operating their own prewar lumber firms in San Pablo City, Laguna; Dagupan City, Pangasinan; Sta. Cruz, Laguna, in Tarlac; other provinces of the Visayas, etc.

Those kin or former employers of his became his customers, to whom his sawmill in Manila supplied lumber on credit. This might look like “help,” but looks to me like modern-day franchising with supplier/creditor-customer relations. The important thing there is shinyong, or trustworthiness. My great-great-grandfather Dy Han Kia in 19th-century Manila had four lumber businesses with many dealers/clients outside Manila who received his “help.” However, more than business “help,” competition is worse and the most cutthroat among fellow Chinese entrepreneurs.

In fact, the Chinese by nature are culturally and genetically more individualistic than the Japanese are, so look at the shopping mall rivalry between Henry Sy and John Gokongwei Jr.; look at the many Chinese sibling rivalries in business. That is the reason many Chinese family businesses all over Asia tend to splinter into different individual units, thus promoting more small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Cooperation is there if there is a need for it in civic causes, promoting Chinese culture or education, or trade industry advocacies, but one real secret (which also often can be a weakness) of Chinese entrepreneurs is their fierce competitiveness.

(Chinese character for the surname Li, pronounced as "Lee" in Mandarin and "Dy" or "Dee" in Hokkien)



• What are some of the practices of Chinese entrepreneurs?

There are many age-old Chinese business practices, some of them written down thousands of years ago by ancient taipan Tao Zhu Gong. One favorite Chinese business principle is the strategy of being content with low profit margins and aiming for high sales volumes. This requires infinite patience, perseverance and dexterity.

Look at SM, Sun Cellular, Jack n’ Jill, Jollibee, Bench, Mang Inasal and the popular 168 Mall in the heart of Divisoria, Manila — low profit margins for high sales volumes.

(A book on Tao Zhu-gong's business ideas, published in April 2001 by Prentice Hall Regents)



(Image of Tao Zhu Gong from an Indonesian website)





• What can people without capital learn from Chinese entrepreneurs?  

We should encourage frugality in the Philippines, we should promote a higher savings rate nationwide. The Spanish and American colonizers of our society tended to have the free-spending “fiesta” and credit-card mentality, unlike traditional Chinese communities that value thrift. As long we can save money, there is better financial security in the future; there is the possible option of doing small business.

Another challenge is to avoid too much debt. Taking on credit is not bad and the wise use of loans is very good, but we should also be careful not to get into too much debt. Whether in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines or Europe, Chinese entrepreneurs who still retain traditional Confucian values are by habit frugal and prefer to save money.

Whether startup entrepreneurs, housewives, students, employees, professionals or even governments, it is not healthy to spend more than what we earn, it is not healthy to have deficits, it is not good to have too many loans. We need to save for a better future.

(Below is image of a Chinese-style fortune cookie, with words encouraging the Confucian virtue of frugality. Source: 2009 image from the "Pen & Fork" food blog of chef Gwen Ashley Walters)




(Another frugality image from the blog Sonnet Studios, using words of wisdom by Benjamin Franklin)

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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. E-mail willsoonflourish@gmail.com or follow WilsonLeeFlores on Twitter.com or "like" Wilson Lee Flores page on Facebook.