---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ‎The Chinese believe in constant change…"
description: "\"“‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things always moving back to some prior state. They pay attention to a wide range of events; they se..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg"
---

#  ‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things…

![“‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things always moving back to some prior state. They pay attention to a wide range of events; they search for relationships between things; and they think you can't understand the part without understanding the whole. Westerners live in a simpler…” quote by Richard E. Nisbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg)

> ““‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things always moving back to some prior state. They pay attention to a wide range of events; they search for relationships between things; and they think you can't understand the part without understanding the whole. Westerners live in a simpler, more deterministic world; they focus on salient objects or people instead of the larger picture; and they think they can control events because they know the rules that govern the behavior of objects.””

Richard E. Nisbett

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Western and Eastern thought differ: Chinese emphasize holistic patterns, while Western focus on isolated elements, affecting understanding and control.

**In simple terms:** Eastern sees whole, Western sees parts.

Key Takeaway

Balance holistic and analytical perspectives.

Themes

culture cognition holism reductionism understanding

Mood

insightful comparative

Type

Change:1 Chinese:1 Pay attention:1 Westerners:1 Without u:0 Chinese Believe:0 Understanding Westerners:0 Westerners Live:0

When to use this quote

- education
- research
- business strategy
- conflict resolution
- policy making

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology cross‑cultural studies

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you integrate both views?
- When does focusing on parts help?

A Different Perspective

Rigid cultural lenses can limit adaptability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Westerners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/westerners/)

## Related quotes

> [“It is not an unusual life curve for Westerners - to live i n and be shaped by the bigness, sparseness, space clarity &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/it-is-not-an-unusual-life-curve-for-westerners-to-live-i-n-and-be/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [“The Chinese believe that before you can conquer a beast you first must make it beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/the-chinese-believe-that-before-you-can-conquer-a-beast-you-first/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [The fact is that the Chinese are taking advantage of America. And by the way, the Chinese can't even believe that they're getting away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-fact-is-that-the-chinese-are-taking-advantage-of-america-and-by/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [Americans believe that you can alter people by conversion, and that everybody in the world is a potential American. The Chinese also believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/americans-believe-that-you-can-alter-people-by-conversion-and-that/)

[Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/)

> [The Chinese believe that before you can conquer a beast you first must make it beautiful. In some strange way, I have tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/the-chinese-believe-that-before-you-can-conquer-a-beast-you-first-2/)

[Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/)

> [More than 90% of Chinese believe themselves to be Han. Of course, such a vast population is derived from countless different races, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/more-than-90-of-chinese-believe-themselves-to-be-han-of-course-such-a/)

[Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/)

> [The Chinese are generally speaking much more reluctant than Westerners to killing as a means to the rescue of lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/the-chinese-are-generally-speaking-much-more-reluctant-than/)

[Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/)

> [I lived in Saudi Arabia in the late 1970s. It was, for a Westerner, pretty idyllic. There were the religious police; there were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/i-lived-in-saudi-arabia-in-the-late-1970s-it-was-for-a-westerner/)

[Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/)

> [This, I believe, is the great Western truth: that each of us is a completely unique creature and that, if we are ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/this-i-believe-is-the-great-western-truth-that-each-of-us-is-a/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [The Dalai Lama, these days, encourages Westerners not to take up Buddhism, partly because he feels that our roots are deep in other traditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-these-days-encourages-westerners-not-to-take-up/)

[Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/)

> [“To most Westerners, the Philippines suffers from a lack of exoticism. Simply put, Philippine culture is just too accessible. To a young Western backpacker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-martin/to-most-westerners-the-philippines-suffers-from-a-lack-of-exoticism/)

Steven Martin

> [The entrenched beliefs many westerners profess about Islam often reveal more about the West than they do about Islam or Muslims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamza-yusuf/the-entrenched-beliefs-many-westerners-profess-about-islam-often/)

[Hamza Yusuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamza-yusuf/)

> [Political correctness is a major defect of the western ethos. Some Western countries have even passed blasphemy laws that would put you in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/political-correctness-is-a-major-defect-of-the-western-ethos-some/)

[Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/)

> [Metaphysical assertions, however, are statements of the psyche, and are therefore psychological. Whenever the Westerner hears the word “psychological,” it always sounds to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/metaphysical-assertions-however-are-statements-of-the-psyche-and-are/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

> [“The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other religions were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-west-won-the-world-not-by-the-superiority-of-its-ideas-or-values/)

[Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things always moving back to some prior state. They pay attention to a wide range of events; they search for relationships between things; and they think you can't understand the part without understanding the whole. Westerners live in a simpler, more deterministic world; they focus on salient objects or people instead of the larger picture; and they think they can control events because they know the rules that govern the behavior of objects.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard E. Nisbett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-nisbett/the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-but-with-things-always-moving/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-nisbett/the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-but-with-things-always-moving/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/654/richard-e-nisbett-155543_change_the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-b_1629357.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“‎The Chinese believe in constant change, but with things always moving back to some prior state. They pay…” — Richard E. Nisbett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Richard E. Nisbett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-e-nisbett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“‎The Chinese believe in constant change,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-nisbett/the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-but-with-things-always-moving/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-e-nisbett/the-chinese-believe-in-constant-change-but-with-things-always-moving/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```