[Music] from the moment we're born we begin to develop our identities who are we what should we care about and how should we relate to all these people around us as it turns out the way each of us answers these questions largely depends on the culture we grow up in what a major difference between cultures in the east and the West is how they view the individual in relation to the group some cultures tend to place more importance on the individual they're known as individualistic or me societies many Western societies including those in the United States Australia and large swaths of Europe are considered meat cultures people in a me culture believe each individual is responsible for their own well-being their circle of responsibility extends only to their media family members parents spouses or children they view the responsibility to others in society like their neighbours or classmates as limited after all there are also individuals who should be taking care of themselves on the other hand some cultures place more importance on the group there called collectivist societies or wee cultures many Eastern cultures including those in China India and Japan are considered we people in a weak culture prioritize strong social ties and belonging to a larger group these groups might include classmates neighbors and extended families they strive for group harmony and believe the individual should make the best decisions for the overall well-being of their group if you take care of the group they'll take care of you so how does this mean versus we difference shape our behavior as it turns out this seemingly subtle distinction has some surprising effects imagine two families each go out to dinner the family from a meal culture might consist of just four people two parents and their two children the family from OFI culture would need a much larger table to make room for two children their cousins and multiple sets of parents and grandparents at the meet table everyone would order the specific meal they wanted when the food comes they may trade a bite or two but for the most part each person would eat their own meal at the wheat table on the other hand multiple dishes would be ordered for the whole table they will be placed in the center and all members of the family would share them now let's say a family member was running late how is each table likely to respond at the meat table people are expected to be masters of their own faith so when teenage brother Lee arrives Lee the family is more likely to attribute his tardiness to some fundamental aspect of Lee's personality like assuming he is lazy or irresponsible at the we table on the other hand they're more likely to see leaves behavior as part of a larger context rather than blaming him for being lazy they may assume external factors were involved maybe there was an accident on the road and leave that cotton bad traffic this tendency to either credit the individual or the larger context applies the positive things to say Li was coming from a basketball game where he scored a game-winning shot at the me table Li would be celebrated as the hero his individual action on the game for the whole team in a celebratory toast Li would likely speak about how his hard work determination and focus led him to this moment meanwhile at the wheat table the team's overall victory would be celebrated Li's toast would more likely focus on how his teammates coaches and mentors led to the team's success he may even mention a larger context like the support of the team's school administration or fan base both of these viewpoints are true these actions secured the victory but the team's effort want the game there is no objective right or wrong way to think about individuals versus groups what works for one culture just may not work for another it's also important to remember that culture is only one of the many factors that influence who we are so some people from a weak culture may prioritize the individuals and some meet culture people may value their communities over themselves culture is never all that we are but as one of those invisible forces that shape us it's well worth knowing a little more about so the next time the behavior of someone from another culture seems weird or even rude try asking yourself how did they grow up to understand the world could my behavior seem as weird from their viewpoint cultural differences don't hold all the answers but they can help us begin to understand each other and appreciate the richness and variety of human societies