On the Differences between Chinese and American Mode of Thinking.docVIP

On the Differences between Chinese and American Mode of Thinking 　　【Abstract】Different cultures generate different modes of thinking， which can lead to the differences in the process of social communication， namely， in people’ behaviors and verbal and non-verbal communications. Therefore， it is necessary to analyze the differences between Chinese and American mode of thinking to make sure the smooth development of Sino-American cross-cultural communications. 　　【Key words】mode of thinking； China； America 　　1. Introduction 　　As people grow up， their modes of thinking will be gradually formed and stabilized under the influence of social environment and local culture. Once their modes of thinking are formed， people will get used to thinking in this way and their behaviors will be guided by them. Geography and history of a certain area have strong influences on people’s mode of thinking， which is the reason why different cultures always have their own systematic mode of thinking. Therefore， Chinese and Americans have sharply different mode of thinking. The differences on mode of thinking can lead to different ways of expression， different outlooks on life and values， different behaviors and ways of communication in cross-cultural communications. Thus， a sound understanding of the differences between Chinese and American mode of thinking will help us develop a better awareness towards inter-cultural obstacles， which will effectively eliminate misunderstandings and conflicts among people from different nations. 　　2. Different Modes of Thinking between Chinese and Americans 　　2.1 Synthetic Thinking v.s. Analytical Thinking 　　Synthetic thinking and Analytical thinking are the two basic ways of thinking and they are the mainstream of thinking mode. Synthetic thinking puts all things into a complex whole to consider their organic connections， focusing on the whole correlativity instead of studying the parts. Synthetic thinking is the main characteristic of tradition