Development and thinking

This is a great time for me – full of testing experiences and stimulating opportunities. Questions crop up in large numbers and among them one has been standing out ever since I arrived. Why do local people look up to Europeans?

I have come to understand that it is largely because of the level of development we enjoy in Europe. Recently I came across a book entitled ‘Why are Asians less creative than Europeans?’ and it made me stop and think. I wouldn’t ever dare to generalize in such a way but in case there is a grain of truth to it, let’s explore this one more in depth.

I believe that one of the forming elements of every culture is the climate in which it is constrained. For example, in central Europe the temperature amplitude is roughly 50C (-15 to +35), while in Malaysia it shouldn’t be more than 15C (+20 to +35). The former requires people to be flexible in terms of clothes, transportation or food to mention a few, the latter – as it is incessantly so hot – makes people look for shortcuts, no matter if on roads or when dealing with authorities.

I also believe that the underlying issue of development on both a personal and national scale is thinking and the whole attitude to it. This is what M. Scott Peck has to say on this:

Simplism is inefficient and the lazy way out. No progress is possible when illegitimate shortcuts in thinking are taken in order to avoid the legitimate effort and suffering that accompany the discipline of problem-solving. Not only is simplism a means by which to harbor the illusion that there are easy answers, it is a sure path to becoming rigid and stuck.

Is this the answer for development? Avoid shortcuts, accept suffering – it certainly holds true for me and I would wholeheartedly encourage people to probe this attitude.

Note: This is not meant to offend anyone, but purely to provoke more questions. I’m well aware of my limited knowledge. Being in search of question and answers, being in the process of learning in other words, means exploring various ways forward and yes, making mistakes...