The Big Picture

This week's entry carries on from last week.  So there is no need for new picture.  I could say that this week carries on or better that this week presents the other side.

The other side focuses on the Thai psyche. I remember in my early days here attending a lecture for foreign teachers in Catholic schools on understanding Thais.  It was given by a Thai psychologist with a PHD from the USA.  His main point was based on his own research which he did on the Thai psyche.  His research showed the limitations of the Thai mind. 

Basically, what he discovered was that your average Thai is less able to cope with new, unexpected and different ideas.   He named their psyche as being quite rigid in comparison to the average western psyche which is much more flexible.  This makes it more difficult for Thais to deal on the spot with new ideas, foreign territory and other ways of acting. When they hear something new or something unexpected or something they do not want to hear, they just cannot cope and their way of handling it is to react, by shutting down and maybe in an angry way. 

I see this time and again living here.  When you talk honestly and openly and it is not what they want to hear or when you present a different approach or new way of acting, you can see the 'closing down' or 'turning off' reaction in their face. What you see is fear or anger or just an automatic and frozen reaction to the unwanted.  So you just stand back and let them be, givng them time to deal with the unknown or unexpected or unwanted. 

This is the other side. It is not always about culture and how ones are nurtured in their society.  It is also about who we are and how we are made.  Such basic life factors determine how we cope and what we can cope with in our day.

Truth seems to be that the big picture is not in a Thai's daily agenda.  That is the way it is.  It is not part of who they are.  Still this does not mean that it is impossible for them to take in the big picture.  You just have to present it so that they can take it in on their terms.  So let them get angry if they need to but then give them time to digest and come up with their own response.  They can do it eventually.