Honor and Shame in Western and Eastern Cultures Are Handled Differently

One cultural generalization is that Western and Eastern, or Asian. perspectives on honor, shame, guilt, innocence, and fear are different. Westerners tend to believe in transparency, full disclosure, publicly reporting on conflicts, and “telling it like it is,” even if embarrassment is the result. Honesty is a high value in Western cultures. It is the honorable thing to do.

But too much honesty causes embarrassment and shame in Asian cultures. Conflict should be discussed or addressed in private unless one is intentionally trying to shame someone (such as a child) in front of others to change their behavior. Expression of disapproval or listing grievances is not generally aired