Post #1595326
2024-08-20 12:14 UTC
Replies (2)
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@leadore@sunny.garden 2025-12-27 16:28
@dazzlepansy Out of curiosity, what do they use where you're from to address someone you don't know? Or what do you suggest as an alternative? For example say you see someone drop their wallet as they walk past. How would you call to them to get their attention? The only alternative to sir or ma'am that I can think of is, "Hey, you there!" or similar which sounds rude to my ears. @considermycat
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@youronlyone@c.im 2025-12-27 17:35
@dazzlepansy I'm not sure what you meant by "servile bowing" and "scraping", but bowing by itself in Asian culture has nothing to do with demeaning yourself, it's an outward expression of respect. Now, someone actually doing servile bowing are usually in a situation where they're begging for that someone to give them another chance or to forgive them. There's a context behind a servile bow which even non-Asians do. I mean, if you experience that situation where you're desperate, you don't think about it, your body just automatically moves. But outside of that context, bowing is not a sign of being servile, it's an expression of respect. Asian cultures, even here in the Philippines, are very expressive when it comes to respect and being polite. We show it through actions and our words. (We have polite speech even in the Philippines, most people assume only Koreans and Japanese have polite speech rules.) It's not us lowering ourselves before someone. Sure, I will agree that real servile bowing should be forgotten and we should instead stand our ground if we know we are right. But again,. cultures come into play. In many Asian cultures, it's better to do a servile bow at the right moment to turn the situation in your favour, than to escalate the situation right there and then. We believe that showing humility is the best defense _and_ offense. And usually it works well in favour of the person who did a servile bow. It is actually a weapon. 😜 @considermycat