I asked an American friend who’s been in China for a year how the year had changed her. She told a story:
I was in a restaurant in Inner Mongolia. This guy was going around smashing things, throwing glasses. He was drunk. I was shocked. I expected a strong reaction: Get out of my restaurant! That’s not what happened. There was no strong reaction. The guy finally left and the staff cleaned up the mess he made. I’ve learned not to react strongly to unusual behavior.
I love this story. That travel changes your assumptions is hardly a new idea but this says it vividly and briefly.
Gene Sterling allegedly said: “You are not responsible for the stimulus, only how you respond to the stimulus.”
So if you want peace, be peaceful. A la Gandhi – be the change you want to see in the world.
Btw, what do people around there think about incarnation, Seth? Westerners are taught they are a body, die, and that’s it for their existence, as you probably know
I find this story surprising. Are Inner Mongolians typically very tolerant of out-of-control drunks? If so, why?
Alex, I don’t know the answer to your question.
It shows this must be a society in which violence is rare and a temporary aberration. And also where drunken-ness is rare.
In a high violence/ frequent intoxication society – such as the British Isles – the restaurant would not last a week.
Bruce, apparently drunkenness is a huge problem in Mongolia:
“Mongolia’s drinking epidemic”
Another possible factor is trust that a drunk who’s breaking glasses won’t escalate to attacking people.
Maybe the drunk was the Mayor (or some other important person).