Taiwanese warmth and hospitality are often praised by foreign tourists. However, writer Ku Ling recently posted candidly that Taiwanese people actually have "a basket full of flaws." He compiled 10 common shortcomings among Taiwanese people, covering aspects such as global perspective, aesthetics, populism, values, and bandwagon culture. Ku Ling emphasized that his intention in raising these points is not to "speak ill of Taiwan," but rather to encourage people to "correct if guilty, strive if not," and to examine themselves to a higher standard, ultimately making Taiwan a better place.
Ku Ling Lists 'Top 10 Flaws of Taiwanese People'! Criticizes Poor Aesthetics and Easily Manipulated Populism: Highly Civilized Nations Should Apply High Standards of Self-Examination
Ku Ling pointed out that Taiwan is already a highly developed civilized nation, and thus it is natural to apply a higher standard for self-examination. The 10 flaws he listed are as follows:
1. Lack of Global Perspective: Media headlines are mostly dominated by local social news, traffic accidents, and domestic politics. International news is merely decorative or focused only on natural disasters, and many people are indifferent to global affairs.
2. Populism Easily Manipulated: People often get angry before verifying facts, triggered by headlines, memes, or political slogans, making them vulnerable to exploitation by malicious actors.
3. Money-Oriented and Easily Bought: Past vote-buying practices have evolved into "policy vote-buying," such as increasing farmers' pensions to gain votes or proposing major infrastructure projects like high-speed rail extensions, which appear to involve spending large sums to deceive voters.
4. Particularly Poor Aesthetics: Architecture, public art installations, and tour bus designs lack aesthetic sense. The problem lies in "not thinking," often spending large budgets yet producing unattractive results without realizing it.
5. Single Value System: Public discourse excessively glorifies the wealthy, focusing on luxury homes and cars, while rarely discussing personal integrity, knowledge, or actual social contributions.
6. Overly Forcing Themselves: People are often insincere with acquaintances, attending weddings or family gatherings they dislike just for "social obligation," even competing to pay bills despite financial loss.
7. Herd Mentality: Extremely prone to following trends; popular food spots, photo-worthy attractions, or cute pets often trigger long queues, with excessive reliance on online reviews.
8. Short-Lived Enthusiasm: Attention easily shifts; initial outrage or compassion quickly fades as topics lose momentum.
9. Misuse of Compassion: Donations and acts of kindness are often impulsive, with little follow-up concern about where funds go or whether they are misappropriated.
10. Lack of Existence Recognition: Due to international constraints, people often eagerly sing the national anthem or wave the national flag in international settings to seek attention, yet Taiwan is already internationally renowned.
Ku Ling: Not Disparaging Taiwan—High Standards Are for Self-Improvement
Regarding these 10 flaws, Ku Ling admitted that some might find his views too one-sided or the standards too high. However, he emphasized that the purpose of such examination is to promote Taiwan's continuous progress. "It's not about comparing with others, but about making ourselves better."
Netizen Reactions: All 10 Points Hit Home, Strong Resonance
After the post, many netizens shared their thoughts: "Not fully agreeing, but mostly relatable," "When a store opens in Taiwan and says there’s a discount, people line up for one or two hours just for a single lunchbox. So it's easy to be bought with small favors and manipulated by trends," "All points hit! Hope Taiwan keeps improving," "Completely agree—the lack of aesthetics is truly a failure. Anyone who’s been to Europe knows even alleyways there are beautiful, and every random spot looks good," "Really, all 10 points hit."
FACT BOX
- Source: PR Times
- Category: News