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18 WHEN CULTURES COLLIDE

Individual Deviants
Emperor
Meiji

shyness
politeness
Japanese conceals feelings
collective Learned
programming distrust of verbosity
desire to be in a group
uneasiness with foreigners
respect for elders, traditions
comfortable in hierarchy
Samurai spirit
ultra honest no losing face

anger at injustice, wants to be liked, love of young

gratitude for favors survival (fear, bravery, etc.) procreation

Common to mankind Inherited

Figure 2.1 Human Mental Programming: Japan

On the other hand, we have a sneaking feeling (and we frequently hear it ex-
pressed) that “deep down all people are alike.” There is also truth in this, for
there are such things as universal human characteristics. They are not as numer-
ous as you might think, for our national collective programming distorts some of
our basic instincts (Scots’ thrift versus American free spending). Figure 2.1
shows how national collective programming is “grafted onto” inherited traits.
The top section adds individual characteristics. Some people, by dint of personal
originality, extra powers of perception, stubbornness or even genius, stand apart
from their colleagues and deviate sharply from the national track. Such people
often become famous for their idiosyncrasies, and a few have actually changed
the course of their nation’s destiny (e.g., King Henry VIII, Kemal Atatürk,
Emperor Meiji of Japan).
In general, however, our national or regional culture imposes itself on our
behavior rather than the other way round, and we become a solid German, a