Every civilization has its own culture — rooted in the faith, beliefs, customs, and traditions of its people. When a businessman wants to operate in the Far East, he’s often briefed on cultural dos and don’ts — what not to say or do with Japanese or Chinese partners. Western professionals have learned the hard way that, for example, a Chinese person rarely says “no” outright. But that doesn’t mean the answer is yes either.

Business culture in the West differs fundamentally from that in the East. In the West, business comes first, and friendships may develop afterward. In the East, it’s the opposite: trust and personal relationships are a prerequisite before doing business. This means Westerners must be able to interpret their counterparts’ responses not through the lens of their own culture, but through the perspective of the culture they’re dealing with. Cultural misinterpretations must be avoided at all costs. What matters isn’t what John says in his language, but what Mary understands in hers.

In the Middle East, two major cultures coexist and collide: that of the Jewish people, which leans toward Western norms, and that of the Muslim Arab world. Each has its own value systems, traditions, and modes of verbal and non-verbal communication. Unlike increasingly secular Europe, religion in the Middle East is vibrant and plays a central role in both domestic and international affairs.

The secular Western man who seeks to impose his “universal” human rights—originally rooted in Catholic (from the Greek katholikos, meaning “universal”) thought—on the rich mosaic of global civilizations. It echoes the missionary efforts of his Christian ancestors who sought to spread Christianity across non-European continents, presenting it as the ultimate and unsurpassable worldview.

Today, the Western man feels compelled to intervene in global conflicts and impose peace according to his own values—this is what’s known as the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)