Making headlines around the world is the heart-breaking story of two-year-old Wang Yue. On October 13, a truck and a van ran over Wang Yue in Foshan, Guangdong Province, while 18 people either walked or cycled past the toddler before a scrap peddler, Chen Xianmei, finally rescued her.
This case has an eerie resemblance to the murder of Kitty Genovese. Sociologists coined the phrase ‘Genovese Syndrome’ or ‘the by-stander effect’ after the New York Times published an article, ‘Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police,’ which claimed that Genovese’s neighbours refused to intervene after she repeatedly screamed for help as she was being stabbed to death by her assailant. Since its publication, that article has largely been discredited: Genovese’s neighbours did in fact call the police, and did attempt to come to her rescue.
Unfortunately, and tragically, the Wang Yue case has been factually reported, and will be forever seared into the global consciousness through a security camera video that captured in its entirety the horrifying apathy of those 18 bystanders.
There’s an easy explanation as to why Wang Yue was left to die, why Chinese children are stealing from their own parents, why Li Gang’s son feels he’s above the law and public opinion, and why Guo Meimei is proud of siphoning off charitable funds for personal use: China has become an ultra-utilitarian society that concerns itself only with GDP growth, with rich lists, and with test scores. Psychologists have long known that there are two motivational centres in the human brain: one that’s utilitarian, rationale, and self-interested, and another that is social, emotional, and altruistic. We appeal to the former by emphasizing material results and rewards, and to the latter by emphasizing lofty principles and social ideals. The problem is that they’re mutually exclusive: that’s why during the subprime boom, Wall Street traders were willing to cheat friends and bankrupt nations to earn higher individual bonuses, and why dedicated teachers may feel insulted when offered cash bonuses.
China seems to have become so utilitarian that it can’t understand or even tolerate people who do things for altruistic reasons. The penniless scrap peddler rescued Wang Yue not because she was internally doing a cost-benefit analysis in her head or anticipating the material rewards of doing so (as some Chinese have accused her of doing), but because it was the right thing to do. So what’s happening right now to Chen Xianmei – the unwanted media attention, the unsolicited cash rewards, and public accusations of her being opportunistic – is itself just as tragic and as depressing as what happened to Wang Yue.
According to the Shanghaiist, the public attention has traumatized Chen Xianmei, and has prompted her to flee her home of Foshan:
‘Now with all of the media attention focused on her, as well as government officials and journalists knocking on her door night and day, Chen says she doesn’t even dare to turn on the television anymore.
‘“A lot of people are now saying that I’m doing it to get famous, and to get money. Even my neighbours are now saying so!” she said. “That really wasn’t my intention, and I’m so afraid of hearing what people are saying that I don't dare to watch the news. I’m not out for fame or money.”’
When asked what she thought about the negative things that people were now saying about her, Chen said, “I didn’t steal or rob. All I did was to save a child,” as tears began to fill her eyes.’
Chen Xianmei’s tears aren’t just for herself (she’s clearly being exploited by media reporters and those individuals who are donating money to her). They’re also for Wang Yue, and for a society that has become so hopelessly utilitarian it believes it can just buy someone’s goodness to appear less utilitarian.
Chinese believe by rewarding Chen Xianmei they’re encouraging more people to be like her. But what will probably happen in the wake of Chen Xianmei’s story is a lot of Chinese complaining to the media how they weren’t immediately flooded with praise and money for selflessly helping others.
Her life now turned upside down, Chen Xianmei herself said that if she were to be put back in the same situation, she’d still choose to save Wang Yue’s life. And she probably would – after weighing the pros and cons of doing so.
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yang zi
very powerful article.
MadeinChina
This about it the next time you buy an article from CHINA
JUSTSAYNO
Sometimes I have to wonder just how out of touch some of the Chinese writers on this site are with China, which is a shame because this site is supposed to be filled with China experts. Had this essay’s author read any Chinese newspapers or even some English ones, he would have reported that the major explanation for people’s apathy in his matter has to do with China’s lacking of a good samaritan law. Over the last few years China has seen cases where the person helping someone else in distress end up getting sued by the same person he/she is helping.
Also, why is it wrong for wanting to reward the good samaritan? The idea that good deeds should be rewarded is the most thing taught in most management/motivation courses. Selfless heroes such as the man in the NY who saved someone else from falling into train tracks was given page 1 star treatment on the NYT. Why is this a bad thing? If the Chinese peddler does not want the money perhaps the author can help her to donate the money elsewhere. The author’s odd prediction of the positive media coverage of the hero, that other Chinese do gooders would now demand the same type of media attention and compensation says a lot about the author himself. A selfish person typically projects his selfishness onto other people’s actions.
JJGL
>Also, why is it wrong for wanting to reward the good samaritan?
I see nothing wrong with being given money for a good deed or selfless action.
Chen saw a little girl on the street-road not moving and she did what some may refer to as a noble act and moved the little girl out of the street and found her parents. Now she was gifted money “was given a government reward of about $3,000 … Chen Xianmei, 58, responded to the prize by saying she would donate most of the money to pay for Yueyue’s ongoing medical treatment”
Here is where the people of china make me sick to my stomach. They accuse her, Chen, of doing it for fame and money. More people donate money, some anonymous, and even more accusations pop up. So it seems to me the Chinese want to make it seem like good deeds are only made possible if there is a reward. She has since fled her town because of the media and fellow neighbors accusing her of something so petty.
Amy
But its true, in many cases people are afraid to physically help out someone in need because of all the negative consequences and law suits the good samaritans have had to deal with as a result of “doing the right thing”. To be brutally honest, if i were in that situation I don’t think I’d have the guts to do much more than to call the authorities. But i think its too general to categorize all Chinese people as so unreasonably as i feel like the education and social gaps are way to big. Usually with this kind of cases, it happens more with less educated and older generations or lower income families. Because they don’t have money, they can only perceive anyone doing anything slightly unordinary as a mean for personal gain. I don’t think that people I know in China feel like that Chen did this for her own self benefit, but yes it is sad when a good deed goes not only unrecognized but rather criticized and pegged with a extrinsic material motive.
Joe
People get the laws and politicians that they deserve. Why does china punish good Samaritans? Because china, as a whole, does not value helping those in need.
tankfox
Are you suggesting that they go out and vote? I don’t think that’s how it works over there.
Joe
Are you suggesting that the Chinese people have absolutely no responsibility for their government and institutions?
Steve
JUSTSAYNO:
The tort law-related reason notwithstanding, the example in the first paragraph you’ve cited doesn’t undermine the author’s critique; it strengthens it. The whole point of the article was to show that Chinese society emphasizes utilitarian motivations so much so that without the prospect of a reward Chinese are unwilling to do something in the name of altruism. Good Samaritan laws are necessary only when people are incapable of acting out under their own will for an altruistic idea (see prescriptive/positive laws). Had Wang Yue been saved by by-standers acting in order to not prosecuted is the act altruistic? Indeed, not; it is an (understandably) selfish act. Now, one could then make the argument that Good Samaritan laws will ultimately change the way people perceive morality – see the age-old question: Can we legislate morality?
As for your second argument, regarding the benefits of rewards for altruistic behavior. Unless you want society operating as one giant corporation/organization and not as an “advanced” society (I understand the subjective undertones here), then one can make a rather strong argument for why instilling a sense of duty (or at least civic responsibility) for helping people who are part of the society one lives in.
JUSTSAYNO
“The whole point of the article was to show that Chinese society emphasizes utilitarian motivations so much so that without the prospect of a reward Chinese are unwilling to do something in the name of altruism.”
No, there is a big difference between doing a good deed while expecting to be rewarded which was the author’s position, and not doing something good in fear of being punished which was my point. I know a lot of people who don’t do good things in fear of being punished while I don’t know anyone who won’t do anything good unless they will be rewarded. The author’s suggestion that Chinese society lack clear morals only feed to the racist trolls. If people in developed, western nations were truly altruistic there wouldn’t be whistleblower protection and good samaritan laws but there are and good reasons for them to exist.
Reading the other responses to my comment again I have to wonder just how many people have actually lived in China or familiar with Chinese news and events. If people can actually read Chinese they should visit Weibo and other blogs to get a better sense of the Chinese society. While there are some negative comments being made about the peddler there is an overwhelming majority who have said a lot of positive things about her. In other words the author is making a big deal out of the FEW haters and using them to generalize the whole Chinese society. I find that disingenuous at best.
Finally, I still don’t see how rewarding the good samaritan in this case is “victimizing” her as the author is arguing. I left a very expensive camera in a small restaurant while touring Sichuan recently. By the time I realized this we were already 2 hours away and since we were in a less developed area we couldn’t even call the restaurant. Our tour guide and driver went out of their way to help me get the camera back. For their efforts I gave them 500 RMB which is a good portion of their monthly salary. According to the author my action will somehow change the behavior of the tour guide so next time she would only help if there are monetary rewards. I find this silly at best.
Pau
whoa… getting the point, huh?
Androo
Which is exactly what the article is stating: the people weighed the cost and found the child’s life to be worth less than a lawsuit.
DanteMX
The reason it is wrong to so highly praise someone for doing something they *ought* to do, is simply that: they ought to have done it. It is simply part of your duty as a human being to save someone in risk of fatality or bodily harm if it doesn’t put you in such peril. In cases when it might put you in the same sort of peril–well then it would in fact be a praiseworthy and heroic effort.
C McW
“A selfish person often projects his own selfishness onto other people’s actions.”
Sam
So all 18 people pass the girl because of the 2007 Nanjing law? That is nonsense. The idea that Chinese people don’t intervene because they are afraid of getting sued is a Red Herring. How many Chinese people are aware of that law, in a country were most are illiterate? The simpler answer is the better answer. Chinese just don’t care, and the reaction of the neighbours is further proof of the lack of conscience Chinese people have. Instead of praising this woman, they condemn her. Why? What law are you going to blame for that? Was there a second Nanjing law that forced people to criticise their neighbours who do good?
Seeker
The 2006 Good Samaritan did in fact happened, the man helped an old woman to the hospital only to be sued by the victim for compensation. Chinese whom are illiterate can still talk and tell stories. And they could ask relatives and friends to read them the news. In China, on July 2010, a man fell off his bike in the middle of the road, people took pictures but no one helped him because of the 2006 issue.
Zhang Fei
The 2006 Good Samaritan did in fact happened, the man helped an old woman to the hospital only to be sued by the victim for compensation. Chinese whom are illiterate can still talk and tell stories. And they could ask relatives and friends to read them the news. In China, on July 2010, a man fell off his bike in the middle of the road, people took pictures but no one helped him because of the 2006 issue.
It’s not because of the 2006 issue. If all anyone knew of this kind of thing was a obscure news report, it wouldn’t be a problem. In China, crime victims routinely accuse Good Samaritans of being their assailants, and the police, whether out of laziness, greed (for cash bonuses paid for closing cases) or simple indifference, routinely prosecute Good Samaritans without further investigation. Everybody in China personally knows someone who tried to help and ended up spending nights in jail or having to pay off both the victim and the police. The passers-by aren’t indifferent, they’re fearful of predatory government officials and victims (or relatives of victims).
Chickenz
Fact check: China is one of the countries with the highest literacy rates.
Don’t propagate information that isn’t true.
Zhang Fei
China is one of the countries with the highest literacy rates.
China claims a lot of things that aren’t true.
JUSTSAYNO
“How many Chinese people are aware of that law, in a country were most are illiterate? ”
Is it that difficult to google just to verify you know what you are talking about? The literacy rate in China is roughly 96% while the internet penetration is close to 30%. Many if not most of the Chinese are aware of what happened to the case in Nanjing because it was all over the news as well as the internet.
Josiah
I really doubt the lack of good Samaritan laws truly detracts from the main conclusions of this essay. The way I see it, this essay views the use of a cost benefit analysis as in direct opposition to the instinctive need to help someone. In this case, the instinct to help should come before the need to evaluate the legal ramifications of doing so, for this situation, or the prospective rewards that might be gained. To argue that this situation occurred because the legal system is flawed, and that better rewards be given out, ignores the main distinction in this essay between the instinct to help and the need to gain from every action, where every man acts solely for his own personal benefit.
Mr V
Ok, I have not had any idea of any good samaritan law anywhere ever in the world until I read about apologists explaining every time these things happen the excuse of “well there has been so many cases of ppl who were helped to sue the helpers” as reason of not helping others. I mean, there is such “law” in outside China? Huh? I helped fallen motorcyclist in Shanghai and for sure I did not know about such laws or not. Just rushed to help him get off the road before second car comes over. Or when I was helped in my country when I was hit by a car that all those people helped only knowing that I wont sue them and there is this sort of law to protect them. Sorry, not buying this.
Jeremy
People using this good samaritan excuse are as morally empty a those who walked on by. Never, almost, is a chinese street empty. So, why dont 3 passers by say to each other “hey there is a dying baby, if all three of us help, we dont have to worry about being accused. The problem is that in every case, including in western countries, it is always one person who helps, with either the risk of being punched, stabbed, or sued.
Also, the author is not saying it is wrong to give money to is lady, he is saying how stupid it is that, in his opinion, china is becoming so cncerned with wealth and development that people cant even understand that this lady would help just because it is right.
Dont worry, it isnt just china, it is western countries too. People say they are good people, go to church, but en when they are called upon to act, it is 1 in 100 that will do so.
ULXUS
I believe this article was perfect. To JUSTSAYNO I believe you are misunderstanding the intention of the writer. Here he was analyzing the psychological root motivations of all sides in this situation most easily noted in the last line “She would probably do the same again – after weighing the pros and cons” In other words to say next time even though she would make the same decision AFTER she weighed the pros and cons instead of making the obvious instinctive “Good” human reaction to instantly throw yourself in harms way to save the child.
The same logic can be applied to all comparisons in this article. The instinctive human reaction should have been for every single person on the street to dive in front of the vehicles to save the CHILD, because it is a CHILD. Any other thoughts or emotions: Apathy, Hesitation, Risk vs Reward processing are all flawed human response. This was the point of the author. The simple fact that any “factors” are weighed is in itself the error as well as any coverage about monetary gains or loss etc etc. As she herself said, “I simply tried to save the child.”
As for my personal comment: Shame on the human race, and shame on the chinese for this pathetic display.
Lex Rock
Wrong. It has nothing to do with any “good samaritan” laws at all. It has all to do with the social values of the society. Values that hva been distroted by greed. A smaritan law would only attempt to “patch” up this flawd value system, but not ending the root cause of it, so the same distroted values would still perpetuate.
desbest
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a good samaritan. However in China, there is everything wrong with wanting to reward a good samaritan. Because China is communist, people who earn money the honest ways are punished. That’s why a Microsoft or Pepsi could never be formed in China, and that’s why China doesn’t have a strong history of good patents. Being creative to make a contribution to the world is not rewarded, is technically punished, and one way of doing that is piracy.
In short, communism makes people in the country become dishonest and get money in shady ways. That’s why China sells counterfeit goods, because being original doesn’t work.
Now to explain why rewarding the good samaritan is a bad thing.
In China there is an attitude to life that people have, where they see prosperity through money, as being a zero sum gain. If you gain money, then I am losing money, as there is less money for me to get. That’s the attitude they have. They don’t see the viewpoint of you gaining money being productive to society or only to you.
If the woman who saved the persons life gets money out of being a good samaritan, then they will get less money.
It’s not their fault that they behave this way. It’s China’s corrupt system that haves them doing this. Most of the people who condemn her probrably know they’re doing the wrong thing, but simply can’t do anything else. http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/lj64d/a_chinese_woman_who_came_to_international/
Nimbyist
You sound entirely like the utilitarians mentioned in this article.
They key is a lack of empathy. They care too much about themselves to help others, EVEN a 2 year old toddler. Shouldn’t the reflex motion be to help a 2 year old lying on the road covered in blood? I stress 2 year old because she embodies innocence, and unfortunately is what sensationalized this tragedy.
The empathic thing to do would have been: 1) see girl covered in blood, 2) help girl covered in blood/call cops/find parents
Not: 1) see girl covered in blood 2) recall highly publicized news stories and weigh pros and cons of saving girl if you’re going to get into trouble 3) decide it’s not worth it to save girl and walk away
Also, if they were really weighing the pros and cons, how would a 2 year old sue you? I’m sure forensics would point out the cause of injury was heavy blunt trauma consistent with a car. Evidence at the scene would not substantiate that the bystanders were the one who injured her. At this point, the lack of critical thinking is catching up to these heartless people who are defending themselves with half assed logic. They have to stop making excuses for their mistakes and own up to it.
The worst part? They don’t even feel guilty about it, and have rationalized their actions to themselves. I want someone to sit them in front of a computer and replay the clip to them until they feel something wrenching in their chest like so many other strangers have.
traveler
Xie xie (thank you)Chen Xianmei.
Because of you , we are all better humans today.
Oro Invictus
As I’ve mentioned before, this tragedy also serves as an extremely fitting allegory for what is happening in the PRC as a whole; indeed, it is almost surreal how fitting it is, comparing the plight of this poor girl to that of those disenfranchised (Tibetans, ethnic minorities, victims of poor safety standards, etc.) in the PRC.
Surely, if we view Yue as representative of the aforementioned disenfranchised, then the driver is the PRC government, seeking to move forward no matter what gets in their way (i.e. economic progress at any cost). Those walking by without assisting represent the citizens of the PRC who simply ignore tragedies unfolding before them, be it out of fear, ignorance, or self-interest. Xianmei would thus represent those in the PRC who take a stand against this, seeking to help those in need despite the risks, resulting in praise by some and unfair accusations of less-then-noble motives by many others.
Indeed, the only real difference between the horror of what happened to Yue and that of this allegory is that, since the PRC government itself is the driver (and thus responsible for the tragedies), it does not fear reparations for its actions; meanwhile, these Xianmeis of China who seek to help are punished by the PRC for performing an action which highlights their deleterious actions and runs counter to their desires. Meanwhile, those who did nothing are free to continue walking, pretending that nothing has happened as the blood pools on the ground.
When one considers this terrible event and the plight of Yue, it is unfathomably tragic; when one then considers that the same pain, suffering, and disregard acted upon this poor girl has repeated and continues to repeat millions of times over in the PRC… There are no words which can adequately express the sorrow over such inhumanity.
yang zi
Very good @Oro Invictus, good analogy, there are some truth to it.
also, did you see my reply to you about that Taiwan Poll? please check it out.
Frank
Rewarding Chen Xianmei is not the correct way. She is just doing her duty as a human being.
China should arrest all those 18 people who walked or cycled past Yue Yue for second degree manslaughter.
Pass a Yue Yue law to punish these people.
Reaosn
True to form Frank, you just don’t get it!
Just what China needs – more punishment on individuals to numb their senses even more.
In everything that goes wrong in China the CCP’s answer is – Let’s find some INDIVIDUALS to blame for this – the CCP can never accept the blame itself and on the society that IT is creating.
Train crashes, blame and individual, poison milk, blame individual, child gets run over and left for dead… blame an individual – but never the Party.
You just keep talking Frank and you’ll make China great!
Frank
Actually, the similar things happened in India and USA also.
Should we blame the government also?
Watcher
I have to agree with Frank here (does not happen often :) ).I believe it should be both a moral and indeed also a legal obligation to help out in souch a case, otherwise you are partly responsible for leaving someone to die.
Joe
Beat into them empathy and care for their common man! That’ll work!!
gagahput3ra
Does China’s society or any other society for that matter really works as simplistic as this?
Huang
There were televised discussions and other on-line forums on the issues of helping others(elderly) in public places and the occasional law suits brought upon the the person who got help against the good deeds in Chinese society today.
Do all or most Chinese stop or avoid lending a helping hand to others? The answer to this is a 100% NO just by honestly understanding human beings anywhere all over the World. Some people may fail to notice this simple fact about human nature and have the urge or tendency to help exist more than NOT.
By=standers or on-lookers are common in every society and this is unfortunately true while fortunately small and rare. This particular incident not only was captured on tape but widely circulated showed how despicable and insensitive the people at the location were. Nevertherless, I believe the same incidents occured in other parts of the World too, the only difference is that those were not caught on cameras.
It would be even more despicable to see people using this as a way to criticize China as a whole because it was not only poor judgement to do so.
Finally, this incident show an ugly side of a locale in China and it would be a mistake to generalize this to China nationally since the act of generalizing is itself a dis-service to oneself and one’s readers or audiences.
Adam
As it’s been explained to me, Chinese do not interfere in strangers’ affairs because there are too many strangers. This bore out anecdotally as a friend, wounded in a motorcycle accident in Sichuan province, travelled, femur exposed, twelve hours and six villages before locating medical aid.
For such a long time, selflessness has been the chief dramatic moral in Chinese fiction — like loyalty in Japan, a country troubled by civil war and shifting alliances, or romance in England, (once) a title-obsessed, sexually repressed place. Do the themes of popular fiction indicate a desire, that is, a lack, in the lives of ordinary people?
As an aside, the people in the U.S. renowned for their courtesy to strangers are the same people renowned for their lynch mobs. The image of Chen Xianmei presented here is troubling, but who can say whether an altruistic China would be a better place, or even a more stable one?
Zhang Fei
As an aside, the people in the U.S. renowned for their courtesy to strangers are the same people renowned for their lynch mobs. The image of Chen Xianmei presented here is troubling, but who can say whether an altruistic China would be a better place, or even a more stable one?
China isn’t renowned for its lynch mobs, but it’s lynched millions of people in the last 100 years alone. During the Boxer Rebellion, 40,000 Christians were literally hacked to pieces. Rending limb from limb wasn’t just a figure of speech in 20th century China.
Adam
You have a point. I’d contend that the most volatile instances of mob violence in China have been symptoms of or reactions to imported ideologies: the Taiping and Boxer rebellions come to mind, results of Christian evangelism and Imperialism, respectively. There was not mob violence on such a scale to expel the Mongolians or Manchus.
Brad
What is John Chan’s opinion on this one? A very sad story indeed.
Chocolate Monk
Haters gonna hate.
citizenearth
Chen Xianmei can just ignore all the negative comments of people surrounding her. Her action speaks for itself.
Every one of us should salute Chen Xianmei’s samaritan deed in helping Wang Yue. Conscience in all of us requires us to help people in distress. Alas, most of us suppress our conscience for all type of reasons. Hopefully, Chen Xianmei’s deed will encourage good deeds throughout the world and bring up a better world for us.
Melissa Guo
This is ridiculous. She didn’t SAVE the child at all. The child got ran over by two separate vans before she was dragged to the side of the street and abandoned again.
Yes, it is good that this woman actually did the sane thing and helped the bleeding child in the street unlike the rest of the heartless passer-bys, but she in no way shape or form saved her.
Daniel Alexander
Saying “in no way shape or form saved her” is terrible , thats untrue. She did what she did because you cannot leave an injured child lying in the street. Im sure you can agree that if left there longer she could have died. Meaning, at anytime during that video one of the vehicles could have crushed Wang Yue entirely; by moving her out of the street she was ensuring she wouldn’t be crushed, that sounds like saving the child to me.
Made in DNA
A lot can be said about China’s massive swing in economic growth, but in my opinion, that has very little to do with the death of this child.
I believe it’s more about the fact that the mainland Chinese have been brought up in a cruelly repressive society for the last 60 years. Older generations lost everything, gained nothing but hardship and had to do ANYTHING to survive — including turning over their own flesh and blood to a government they knew would certainly punish/kill them for perceived treason toward the State.
Running over a little child in the road, that’s nothing. She is nothing to the man in the van. She is nothing to the shop keepers. She is nothing to the passersby. And she was nothing to her parents for them not to take proper precautions. This has nothing to do with current Chinese society and everything to do with several generations brought up in a culture of State-sponsored terrorism.
alo3v3ra
Are you dense? Given what you are saying is true you don’t think the older generations don’t have anything to do with the society? You are separating the older Chinese generations and the current society as if the older generations aren’t part of society. Like Howard Bloom says, everything is related. Not only are these two things related they are directly a part of one another. The older generations have not only directly influenced society they are part of society. What you are saying in your post would be like me saying I love toast but I hate bread.
Dantheo
This article seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding with both how the brain and motivation works; and the meaning of the term “utilitarian”, which is actually an ethical philosophy concerned with promoting the most posible happiness.
RobD
Indeed. The human race wouldn’t have gotten very far if utilitarianism and altruism were incompatible.
kRiZcPEc (@kRiZcPEc)
And it’s sad that the two-year-old has passed away http://t.co/Bc8AIRBj
Sarah
@JUSTSAYNO
OH WOW. Man…You sound just like those people in Asia who are created to write “positive comments” about the Chinese government. :(
Jessica
@ Sarah
OH WOW. Man…You sound just like those people in Asia who are created to write “negative comments” about the Chinese government. :(
DRLJ
WANG YUE HAS DIED
Alboma
RIP :(
Unless a new culture revolution changes people back to know the basic idea of helping others, this country is already dead. It’s just a monstrous and soulless country which only cares about economy.
Alex
This is just a consequence of Legalism-Confucianism culture that breeds gross apathy. The Chinese have been repressed for more than 2000 years since Qin Shi Huang took over the Qin dynasty. The current political entity in China is just a result of the overarching aforementioned culture.
Simon
And anitgdr reason for me to be racist -_-
yang zi
I’ve been thinking about this and I think the issue is not simple.
I think Chinese has a tendency to let others to take care of public affairs. a child laying on the street is somebody else’s business. the first passerby didn’t seem to notice it was a child, others did see her, but may be wondering why no body is helping her, but never thought him himself should help.
This kind of attitude has much to do with how Chinese society is organized traditionally. People are not used to participate in community activities, it always has been within families. to reinforce this, CCP has conditioned people to mind their own business.
To change this, school curriculum has to change, teach kids how to help each other, people should be encouraged to participate in civil activities, more importantly, a liberal political system that encourages participation, give people a sense of community.
simply put, I am ashamed.
Aogin
@Yang Zi, we should not be ashamed because of the actions of 18 other Chinese. Chinese people are generally good at heart. What I am ashamed, is how CCP conditioned the minds of people to become numb and deaf and blind to what is right or wrong. I also wish that there will be changes. I commend you for your noble wish for the Chinese people.
Watcher
I also think the school is a good place to teach kids simple morality and ethics – right and wrong. Chinese elementary schools are known for being tough – they should be able to leave some time for teaching kids to be better people in society – not just book learning (tian ya shi) I believe they can find some of these answers in Confucianism and Buddhism as well.
monkeyman
If you went to school in China, you would know we learn about moral/ethical heroes in school like Lei Feng. They start teaching ethics and moral behaviour from a very young age in China but no amount of teaching is going to make a person take the risk of being involved in a lawsuit that could destroy his entire family if there is no internal motivation.
Craig Bartlett
This article is so spot on in many ways. I would just add two things:
1.) I think utilitarian is not the correct label. If you think about the classic definition of utilitarianism, it involves doing that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number. What I see in this tragic event, as I have seen in many events in my time on the mainland, is the complete obsession with people doing the greatest good for themselves, with utter disregard for anyone else.
2.) This event is the ultimate proof that China has no more ‘moral capital’. As the representative of Chinese society, the Chinese government has lost all and any authority to offer direction, advice, or opinion in any way on what it believes to be right in international, community, or interpersonal affairs. This government has encouraged people to seek their self-interest at all costs because it has sought its own self-interest, at all costs. If the 21st century is going to be the century of China, we may be in big trouble, indeed.
MostJustWantPeace
Guys – check this out:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/passers_by_let_good_sam_die_5SGkf5XDP5ooudVuEd8fbI
China may have decayed morally, but 25 passerby in the middle of New York City leaving a poor homeless man who was stabbed while trying to save a woman he didn’t even know to die is okay? Don’t hate on China – hate on people’s apathy toward suffering of others.
drew berg
this article is really poorly written.
Asot
18 strangers pass by, but the parents where were they??Shopping??
For so long time leaving a 2 years old child unattended,
is a crime in the western world.
Anon
It’s tragedies as this one that proves china can never replace the U.S. as the major world power.
Communism has taken away the souls of the chinese people.
All that is left are empty shells.
Jude
Ah yes, it’s much easier to dehumanize your enemies when it comes time to go to wage war with them. The democracy and human rights angle obviously has not worked, so time for ethnocentric jingoism. There’s a fine line between politics and the culture of its people, you want to mix that up — as it seems most have — then what awaits you is an inevitable culture clash. The west already did it against the Muslims, you are in the process of doing the same to the Chinese. I hope you enjoy Chinese nationalism because nothing rallies 1.3 billion people like smug westerners.
Joe
Sounds like a child who refuses to do something because their parents want them to. How else should evolved cultures react to this?
From the UK
Hi,
I first heard about this news story on the BBC in the UK. I feel compelled to comment after reading this article and hearing that this poor lady is being subjected to what I can only term a hate campaign.
This is an absolute disgrace, the people who are suggesting that she only did this for the money should be ashamed of themselves. I imagine they would count themselves amongst those who passed by without the slightest care in the world for the injured toddler.
Those people should question their sense of ethics and morality.
casper
i don’t know what to think anymore after what i’ve read… but one thing let me thinking about those people saying that Chen Xianmei is what they say… would it be same notion if the person laying on the street is the person who accused Chen Xianmei those words? will they still judge her act to help? are they going to exchange their life for a piece of rotten idea?
what ever her motives is one thing is clear. she did what those other 18 passerby didn’t do. and if the accusation is true, i think she deserve more $3,000 and flashy spotlight.
American
The fear of being sued for helping the child, even if a valid concern, shouldn’t have stopped people from at least calling rescue services.
J. Chen
From my perspective, the reason why those other passers-by just chose to not to act to save the dying toddler is not that they do not have conscience, but that they are acting out of fear of getting themselves into troubles. They have encountered such cases themselves, or heard from others. In accordance with their own moral principle, they would definitely choose to save the toddler. But they just do not trust the whole system even though they know there is a security camera which always can prove their innocence. However, they have experienced firsthand or heard about such cases when some powerful or well-connected perpetrated managed to get away with their crime by bribery to erase their crime scence recorded in the crime scene. Now many “well-educated” and “experienced” Chinese do not trust the whole system any more.
But why the scrap peddler chose to save the toddler? I do not and will never agree with some critics in saying that the do-gooder intended to garner fame and wealth through media exposure. For one thing, the scrap peddler belongs to the lowest class of the Chinese society in which class status means education and wealth. She would be too inexperienced or incapable in reasoning whether she would get troubles by saving the toddler. For another, she is purer in terms of her conscience. Her conscience has not been tainted by the materialistic society. She would never have thought about the benefits of saving and helping those in bad need. I am definitely sure about this point, because my own mother would be like her.
To conclude, I do not concur that there is not samaritan law in China, or the Chinese people have lost conscience at all.
I think there are many other issue here: why would the perpetrator(s) save the kid himself? why would he choose not to do the right thing? why would people say something bad about the “hero”?
jon
They fear phoning the police that an accident happened? LOl?
Victorian Man
The lack of intellectual humility and objectivity is shocking in this article and the subsequent comments.
Let us keep in mind that even when taking into account the three incidents mentioned in this article (that of Guo and Li in addition to Wang/Chen), to draw definitive conclusions of the merits of political ideologies, judicial systems, or moral teachings with respect to a geographical entity larger than Europe, and a population greater than Europe and North America combined require substantial qualifications.
To condemn the 18 is within reason. Their lack of action is criminal to our common moral code. However, to condemn China – to think that based on the sample size of 18 plus Chen’s neighbors, you now have the evidence to deduce the inner workings of a culture and its behavioral motivations – is utterly ludicrous.
This article is the “ultimate proof” of nothing but the self-righteousness of some of our contributors here.
Mrakoo
To Wang Yue, I am sadden that you do not have the opportunity to live your life and I pray that you are in a better place.
To Chen Xianmei, may you reap all the rewards bestow upon you. Thank you for doing you duty.
To the 18 bystanders, Karma is a bitch!
To all the critics, bite me!
Oliver
Look guys, I am a foreigner in China and I have lived here for 2 years. I speak fluent Chinese and I’ve met hundreds of people in China.
I have an amazing perspective, of having grown up in a Western country (Britain) and now living in China and speaking to people from all kinds of backgrounds.
Fact is Ladies And Gentleman, as some of you already know Chinese people have become insanely obsessed with MONEY and STATUS and there are only four things which most Chinese people like above all else:
1) Money, as it’s the most important I wrote it first.
2) Status. This can be bought with money, or comes from the job you hold or your position in the family. A lot of girls will become sex slaves of the boss so they can attain the ’status’ of having an easy going job, which gives them more ‘face’ than just 随便 (willy nilly) accepting money from a rich lover.
3) If you are a man then obviously beautiful girls, can be pursued either by having enough money or being handsome enough.
4) If you are a girl then handsome men might be your target alongside money so you’ll be looking for both or a compromise of one or the other.
This isn’t so much the case in Western countries as whilst money, status and looks are important it’s not quite on the China scale (which is like 99% importance) compared to everything else.
Just to give you an idea of how obsessed people are with looks in China, I am a reasonably handsome guy and I have a beautiful Chinese girlfriend (one of the nice ones) so I’m lucky on that count and I’m by no means rich just working in a job. Anyway this girl with acne all over her face not pretty at all but only thing going for her was she was very slim.
Then for me I have a ‘normal’ build I’m not slim but not even a little fat, anyway this girl said I needed a cosmetic surgery (变样）because I was that unhandsome to her. It’s because now in China there’s an obsession with SLIM people, if a girl isn’t out looking for a rich guy she’s looking for a slim guy and my normal build seems fat to many slim girls except some including my girlfriend.
They are also incredibly racist but hide it very well. Basically I think for most Chinese people they will not like foreigners by default, but if it’s a girl they will like you if either a) they think you are cute (handsome) or b) like your money. Otherwise they just look down on you as a lesser human being as you aren’t ‘one of them’.
The level of racism in China is much worse than Japan which is known to have a bad reputation, I just think the racism in China is very much unseen as very few foreigners have my inquisitive nature and have also learned Chinese and gone out there to speak to people.
I’ve had Chinese people say things to me like “A Chinese girl will never want to be with you because you are a foreigner” like I was some kind of alien, and that person was talking for ALL of her countrymen as if this was factually true when ofcourse it’s nonsense so you can see there is extreme racism bubbling under the surface and that’s why out of countless Chinese guys I have met in China only a couple of them really wanted to become my friend, one of those actually studied in Canada so is Westernised and doesn’t count.
tao
Oliver
October 21, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Look guys, I am a foreigner in China and I have lived here for 2 years. I speak fluent Chinese and I’ve met hundreds of people in China.
By generalize the whole population, don’t you think you are very race yourself.
Deb Shaw
That lady is a hero. If her own countryfolk continue to abuse her, let them donate enough money to get her a passport to America, and she can come live with me. Once they kick all the good people out of the country, all that will truly matter is their GDP.
Huang
Negligently criminal responsibilities in this case involve no less than several people and would include the parents of the child,the drivers of the two vehicles .
Questions will be raised over this incident around China for some time to come.
The parents’ negligence will be much questioned.
The first driver’s driving habits and abilities will be scrutinized.
The second driver’s drivings will also be discussed.
The eye-witnesses’ accounts will have to be gathered and studied.
And,last is the implimentations of new rules and regulations specifically for dealing with lwasuits involving the “helper’s liabilities in rendering good deeds”in Chinese society.
The new campaigns to promote good deeds in Chinese society where it existed in China for thousands of years.
Finally, more awareness should be raised on child-safeties and the criminal liabilities to the parents be addressed on negligences.
Jessica Attwood Hirsch
I don’t think you understand the definition of “Utilitarianism”. Look it up before you tout it about and use it in a media piece.
Utilitarianism is about increasing the good/maximizing benefit. Clearly failing to aid a fellow human does not maximize the good.
You should be ashamed of yourself for assuming that China is a Utilitarian culture. Do a little research before utilizing your power as a “journalist”. And yes, I use that term very loosely for the writing you’ve displayed here.
Viet
Sad! very sad, indeed. Rest in peace, Wang Yue – a little angle. It is a story of the decay of public moral, Communist government is to blame to create a society, where money is worshiped the most. I see similar things happening in the so-called “socialist” society like Vietnam too. Everyone just tries to protect their own skin.
MEG
wouldnt it be best to prohibit lawsuits against good samaritans? how can they outlaw the good samaritan if what they are doing is a good for society. China has one of the most smart population, and yet they dont think about the effects of this. How many people have been left to dye on a street or anywhere else because they are just so chickend out to help out. Its worse to live with a gulty conscience than being poor and in debt. RIP YUE
oh and the responsibles should be given 100 years in dungeons, he could have easily stopped the first time, and the second when he knew he had ran over her. and the other could have gone around her body. they probably drive with their eyes closed!
Tao
For to those who CONDEMNED all the Chinese been cold blood then they better read this. What I am trying to say is these kind thing happen in every society this include the United States of America.
http://statter911.com/2011/05/31/alameda-ca-firefighters-suffer-image-blow-as-they-watch-man-drown-dave-believes-without-training-equipment-they-shouldnt-have-been-dispatched-to-the-call/
In the public’s eyes this story is simple. A man stood fully clothed in the neck deep frigid surf for more than an hour on Memorial Day off Crown Beach in Alameda, California. On shore are police and firefighters from Alameda. They did nothing but watch the man drown.
Sounds cold, but this is what the public saw and it’s the truth.
Both the fire department and police department told reporters, that despite being an Island community, the firefighters and police officers aren’t equipped or trained to conduct land-based water rescues. They rely on the U.S. Coast Guard. In this case the water was too shallow for the Coast Guard boat and the chopper arrived too late.
Here’s what the fire department said to KGO-TV: