issue208 wanwp

wanwpUID: 2369605

TOPIC: ISSUE208 - "The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people."
WORDS: 508          TIME: 00:45:00          DATE: 2007-8-18 11:09:43

In this society, everyone live with each other. It is obvious that the appearance and behavior will be influenced by the society's ideas and values.  And the style of conversation is also can reflect the ideas and values.

First of all, the appearance is a good way to knowledge the ideas and values of the society. How does the people dress in the society can reflect the society's fashion tendency and value trend. In ancient China, people would like to dress in a conservative way. It shows that people's ideas and the society's ideas are rather conservative. They do not like to be open to others. While in the western countries, people dress in a open way. It also shows that people and the society are willing to be open to others, to other nations and other culture. These differences between the appearance can clearly reflect the ideas of the people and the society.

On the other hand, behavior of the people is also another good way to understand the ideas and values of the society. For example, when you see a old person on the bus, the behavior will demonstrate the moral level of the society. In the uncivilized society, people only focus on his own business. They do not care anything which is nothing to do with them. Their own profit is always in the first place. But in the civilized society, people are more likely to give other people some affordable help if he can. They think accommodation is a kind of virtue. Just like the above example, people in the civilized society will choose to give his seat to the old man while in the uncivilized society people will not. From the behavior of its people in the society, we can also find the society's moral pursue and value trend.

And we can also meet the ideas and values of the society with the style of conversation from the people in the society. When you talk with most of the persons, you can tell the education level and the society's respect from their style of conversation. For instance, when you talk to the people who always are polite and modest and know much knowledge in many areas, it is apparent that they have got sound education and virtue. It will reflect the society's respect on the education, knowledge and morality. But if the people are always rude, it will reveal the wild characteristic of the people even the society. When I talk with an American student, I clearly find their value system. It is more useful to understand the American value trend than to read many relative books. And if the society regards knowledge and morality, people must be modest and polite. So talking with people can get in touch with the society's respect.

In sum, I agree that observing the appearance and behavior of its people can touch the society's ideas and values. And to have a conversation with those people in the society is also a good way to tell about it.