Why do Westerners generally not mind living alone; while Asians, South Americans, Central Americans, and Africans prefer to live with either their families or other people of their race and cultural background rather than alone?
I think for the Western minded person, we live alone because of our linear thinking. When we think about things there are always three things.
1. A beginning
2. A middle or the buildup
3. An end or conclusion
To think in a linear way is to think in a straight line. It essentially means we look for beginnings and ends. We do this in relationships, business’s, life choices, how we write, and talk etc. .
This type of thinking is very good when your inventing mechanical devices, because you need to think in a straight line as this is how most mathematical equations work the best (although now with fractal understandings it seems that there is more creative approaches within math than we ever thought possible).
When it comes to living alone it’s important to see that Linear thinking is one big reason why a western mind can accept the fact that you will have to live alone sometime in your life. Linear thinking people not only accept it but embrace it as well.
When we think about non-linear thinkers, then living alone is more of a death sentence than something good. Most Asians think in a ‘circle’. Which means there are no lines or endings. If they live alone then it becomes unbearable because they see it as never ending, or because they cannot interact with someone else’s ‘circle’.
If you think in a creative way then you can understand ‘circles’. It’s a better way to think in terms of relationships. When you realize that every thing is a part of another and will continually affect that other person, your more than likely to change or become silent so the circle will move smoothly.
An example of circular logic or non-linear thinking is if we consider ourselves and God. God is a being who is Uncreated, Higher than humans by His just being there. Humans were created and are thereby lower creatures, by the natural order. A linear person will understand the humans history, but will never understand the Creator’s and therefore conclude it’s impossible to believe.
A Non-Linear thinking person can take the common points of living and being (these are the main parts of their ‘circle’ and the others ‘circle’), then mix it with the variables of Creation needing to be Created by someone or something outside of their realm of possibility, they then make more ‘circles’ of these different ideas and concepts. All these ‘circles’ intersect with one another and even if we do not see how or where we can give credence to the circles because they exist.
In a relational setting ‘circle’ thinkers are much easier to get along with (if you allow them to think in a circle, when you introduce linear thinking then there are problems) because of their need to be around others. Most non-linear thinking people understand they need interaction or they are missing out on their life. One ‘circle’ alone isn’t very good. It’s when there are multitudes of ‘circles’ intersecting, which create a life and give us depth.
I know this is a simple way to state things but I live with an Asian (who is my wife) and we think in an opposite way (not just the usual male female problems) and we have learned to keep it simple. I have also learned that Linear thinking and non-linear can coexist and make a very strong bond.
