@ubergerber Your explanation makes more sense than writing all these people off as thoughtless air-heads. Because they're not.

@ubergerber raises the second issue of not thinking too deeply about issues. The second malaise of Chinese culture is - "can't change things, so why think about them".

Malaise? No, the reason is readily identifiable - often it is just being too damn lazy.

Are they lazy or do we just "think too much"?

As a chinese,i want to say you guysreally think too much,it just means make youself easy.

@laotou I for one refuse to be included in your paternalistic 'we'.

What is meant by "we"?

guys...don't think too much!!!

You know the Tao Poem?
The young Monk see the mountain and says: It's a mountain. Grows up, see the mountain and says: It's the hand of God, It's a part of perfection, bla bla bla .Before dying see the mountain and says: It's a mountain. - don't think too much -

These vague quotations never solve problems or provide answers. They are designed to appear clever while avoiding answering questions and ducking responsibility.