|
It’s quite confusing to someone who wasn’t born into the culture and therefore is unaccustomed to the social etiquettes that are very often obligatory in societal situation.
One is expected to discern the particular situation from the other person’s perspective when an offer is presented to you, and to judge whether or not you should accept it without going over your status in relation to that person. If the relationship is not warranted then you should not accept it and allow the person to feel that he or she has fulfilled his or her role to be generous, and he or she would also be appreciative you for your consideration.
There is really no right or wrong in this, albeit I personally think it’s a lot of hassle, but then there are pros and cons in every culture so I would not dismiss it entirely. And even though I was educated in the west, often times I would still instinctively, without thinking, gone back to the oriental way when dealing with people.
|