文化差异(Culture Difference):权威 Authority

　　　　 In many countries , authority is seldom , if ever, questioned , either because it is highly respected , or because it is feared . Sometimes , too, Because rank has been important in certain societies for a long time, people have been trained never to question those in authority .. For example , children are not expected to question their teachers in school .It may be considered improper for young businessmen to suggest ideas that differ from those of older, more experienced members of the business.

　　　 In other countries, including America, children are trained to question and search for　answers . When a child asks a question, he will often be told to go to the library and find the answer for himself. By the time students reach the age of 14 or 15, they may be developing exciting new ideas in all fields of science and the arts . To encourage such creativity [1] , there are many national prizes offered to students , every year for their scientific discoveries and artistic accomplishments.

　　　　This interest in questioning and searching may be considered by some people as bad for young people's manners , that young people lack respect for authority . This impression may be created when visitors notice young Americans asking questions and arguing with older people . However , this is because many Americans have a different attitude toward authority than may exist in other areas of the world . In a work or business　situation, ideas are freely and openly discussed and argued. It is important to remember tat it is the person's ideas that are being questioned, not the individual himself..　The two are quite separate. The purpose of the searching , questioning , and arguing is to find the facts in a particular situation, and therefore a solution, so that the work of the business can progress in the most effective manner possible.

　　　　 As was mentioned earlier, you may notice the some questioning in social conversations . Although some individuals may think that Americans are rude because of their direct manner with people, they are merely trying to learn more about your ideas.

[1] creativity　　 n. 创造力, 创造

Excerpted　from " A Guide to U.S.A. ", edited by Li Yang, Li Yi, published by Foreign Language　Teaching and Research Press.

《文化差异(Culture Difference):权威 Authority》