Why?
(Try to find out what feelings and needs are alive in the other person: empathic resonance)
Do you feel confused/insecure?
Do you feel more comfortable when there is open and clear communication? Would you want to have more contact with Asians?
What if?
(‘Mirror questions’: how would it be if you were standing in the shoes of that person)
Do you know people who rarely make eye contact? What do you think of them, what kind of person are they? Are they shy, uninterested? Do they feel uncomfortable?
There must be moments in which you don’t have or do not want to have eye contact with another person.
How would it be for you when this makes the other think you are unreliable?
Self-reflection
(Questions you can ask yourself in silence to support yourself in understanding the other person)
How important is openness and communication for me?
When do I have the need for it?
How do I feel when this need is not fulfilled?
Empowerment
(More information on the issue and tips how to explore the problem and continue the discussion)
Eastern and Western cultures are different in many ways. That is especially true in the way people are accepting other cultures. The amount of acceptance of others and their cultures has a lot to do with the culture of your own country/region.
In this regard, it is especially important how your culture scores on the dimension insecurity avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and power distance.
Does your view of Asians change when you look at their behaviour through the lens of cultural dimensions? Do you recognize the amount of openness for other cultures in your own surroundings? What does that tell you?
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Project Number: 2018-1-DE02-KA204-005060