Indian vs Western Culture: How Can We Embrace the Best of Both Worlds?

Indian Culture vs Western Culture

Hello everyone, let's start our discussion on this topic.

I think both cultures are good, and I believe Western culture is good in many ways. It is very liberal, always ready for a change, and values individuality. One thing that is wrong with our culture is our rigidity; we cannot easily change ourselves.

I am not saying we should change our own culture and solely adopt Western culture, but why are we not ready to accept the good things from Western culture? Both cultures have their own sweet charm, and their culture suits their environment, which may not necessarily fit into our Indian culture. For instance, a woman walking on the beach in a swimsuit may not attract much attention in Western culture because it is a common way of living there. In contrast, in India, a woman walking in a noodle-strap tee might draw significant attention due to our traditional way of living.

In terms of work culture and professionalism, Western culture excels. People are more punctual, disciplined, and have better manners. In India, at times, we lack table manners, and we often do not follow traffic rules. While we boast about our dedication to work, the reality is that Americans, British, Germans are often more efficient, working at 100% while we may work at only 60%. Shouldn't we accept these facts?

However, when it comes to family, relationships, and deeply rooted values, our beloved India surpasses Western cultures. We understand the value of relationships, respect parents and teachers, concepts that have evolved from Indian culture. The idea of seeing God in everyone, be it stones, humans, or animals, stems from Indian mythology. Indian culture is rich and admirable, but there are areas that need improvement.

Anyway, I look forward to more comments from the members.

Hello.

I do agree with this, but then it's a gradual process. Indians are on the line to grab all the positives, but there is always a mix of people where it will take time for our elders to accept it. But yes, it will.

There is no doubt that our Indian culture is far more superior than any other culture in the world. We don't have to follow others or other countries; we have our own style and values! One more reason why we should thank our Indian culture is, "we Indians know who our mom and dad are," Westerners don't know... Lol. There are not many divorces in our culture. We don't have any stepmom, stepdad, stepbrothers, or stepsisters. As far as the dress is concerned, "The best dress is the dress of piety, honesty, values, and integrity." Walking on a beach in a swimsuit is definitely not a good culture. I mean, would we like our sisters to go in a swimsuit on the beach? The answer is no. Culture applies to everyone! We are part of the culture, our brothers, sisters, mother, father, everyone. There is nothing good in Western culture that we should adopt! It's true we are hard workers. If we are not hard workers, then you must not have seen scientists, doctors, mathematicians in foreign countries! Proud to be an Indian and following its culture!

I don't think that our culture is rigid. It is just so flexible that it has accepted Western culture in so many ways.

A person can wear whatever he or she wants to and is comfortable with, be it jeans or a noodle-strap tee. The resultant Indian diversity is a result of the flexibility of Indian culture.

Indians are punctual and disciplined just like Westerners. You should not forget that Indians only go abroad and work in Western companies after completing their studies, leading to their success. This is due to the work worship of Indians.

And of course, our values are the best and are now being preached throughout the world, including Western countries.

I am not saying Western culture is bad, but I feel there is no culture in the West. Whatever they find entertaining, be it anything, they start following that, which is not there in India. Thus, some people feel Indian culture to be rigid and prefer Western over Indian.

I am proud to be an Indian and would appreciate and encourage its culture throughout my life.

I agree with Shaily. A person can wear whatever he or she wants to and is comfortable with. Even I am proud to be an Indian and would appreciate and encourage its culture throughout my life.

Rajesh

Hi,

Don't mind, I'm not in agreement with you that Indian culture is flexible. In some parts of the country, it might be flexible, but not in entire India.

I

One should not forget that every highly educated person now in India is working for foreign countries and involved in the development of that country but not in the development of India. With this condition, don't blame India for being backward. Apply knowledge even for the mother country; then, we can show our impact on other countries but not the other way!

Yes, even I do agree with Shaily.

There is no culture in the West. They do what they feel is right, don't bother about society, have no family relations, no sentiments, no culture, and no traditions found in the West.

There is a lot of variety in Indian culture - care, belief, trust, religious practices, etc., all are followed only in Indian culture, not elsewhere.

The Significance of Our Culture

Our culture has its own value. Vedas and Upanishads are the greatest books in the world. Upanishads are known as the house of knowledge. The Hindu religion is the oldest and best religion in the world. In Mayapur (ISKCON), more than 50% of the people are foreigners. They adopt the Vaishnav religion and consistently pray "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna." By doing so, they embrace our culture, signifying that our culture is the best.

Understanding Indian Culture

Hi, everyone, this is Saif (hasectic), an Indian. First of all, I would like to define culture in a layman's way: culture is the learned and shared behavior of a community of interacting human beings. It includes language, gestures, tools enabling survival and prosperity, traditions, religious beliefs, rituals, dress, art, and music. Therefore, culture is based on your social tradition.

Indian culture is very good, whether it's flexible or not. We learn to respect our parents, teachers, and relatives because of our culture. Our beliefs in holy books like the "Vedas" and "Qur'an" are rigid, binding us to certain rules that help us lead a balanced, creative life. Our attire and different languages serve as symbols of our culture. Thus, I am proud to be an Indian with our culture in its proper form.

Some aspects are concerning: Sati Partha (ritual of burning widows on their husbands' funeral pyre), Balvivah (child marriage), and Bal Sharam (child labor).

Differences Between Indian and Western Culture

There are many differences:

• We embrace progress.
• We contemplate deeply.
• We respect our diverse origins (in India, where there are numerous origins, everyone confuses what is wrong and what is right).
• We celebrate our rich culture (with many cultures).
• We do not shy away from hard work.
• We welcome constructive criticism.
• We engage in politics.

And many more reasons why I think Western culture is much better than ours. (Nothing is perfect, so Western culture is not preferred but is better than ours.)

Understanding the Cultural Dilemma

Today's problem is really vast. I would like to take a few examples before I comment on this article. Examples of China, Japan, and some European countries like Spain and Italy—people in these countries speak their own language and love their local food. I seriously don't want to rope in religions because every religion has its own pros and cons. I believe blaming others for our incompetence is truly cowardice; we have to start accepting our mistakes and move forward.

The Importance of Preserving Indian Culture

Coming back to the topic, Indian culture has its own set of values, morals, and ethics which no one can deny. But today's problem is that we Indians are forgetting our culture, and we have started accepting Western culture in every field, be it music, language, food, etc. If we don't save our culture, then who will? A person who does not speak English or does not listen to Western music is viewed as inferior to one who does. We have had a lot of great people, from Lord Ram to Lord Mahaveer to Lord Buddha and the ten Sikh gurus, who have taught the world non-violence and peace. Indian culture has taught the world what religious tolerance is.

Our Moral Duty to Protect Culture

In light of the above fact, we are forgetting our own culture and accepting a culture which, not exactly, but has taught violence. We accept it. We have given the world morals and ethics, and we ourselves are forgetting them. So, I believe that it is our moral duty to protect our culture and take our culture, our languages, our food habits, our music forward, and show the world the strength of Indian culture.

The reasons for what you say, like no phone manners or punctuality, are not related to culture or something. People who are illiterate or who have lived all their lives in villages may not behave as well as Westerners do. Even Western people will look the same if they are in a similar state. India didn't develop as Western countries did because the population was huge, and it was left impoverished when it gained independence from the British. About 90% of the population was poor at the time of independence. Development takes time.

On the other hand, Indian culture is great. There is no culture that tells you to see God in everybody and treat guests as gods. Some people may seem backward because they are ignorant of their own culture; they don't read the Bhagavad Gita, etc., and they are also ignorant of modern culture. But this is nothing compared to Western cultures where everybody is compared. Most kids use drugs, there are shootings at public places, and most importantly, there is a lack of emphasis on family, as seen in the divorce rate. A family isn't just a dad, mom, and kids; they must all be connected. Even a person who doesn't know how to talk on the phone understands this.

Western Work Culture: A Personal Experience

I think the Western work culture is far superior to ours, as each person there understands their rights both in and outside the office.

Below is a personal experience I would like to share: "One of the consultants/contractors working with us did not reveal his former superior/manager's name and number for background verification because he had signed an NDA with his previous company."

His response was clear: even if I get a well-paid job, I cannot provide details due to the NDA. If I breach the NDA, I might be sued. I will check with my previous employer and revert.

You can clearly see that people are so concerned about the law that they follow it even in such simple matters. You are all very much aware of the cases in India.

Also, most Indians live in rural areas, and they are very rigid. Only people in big metros are flexible and follow rules and company policies as far as they can tolerate. If they feel it's unjust, they switch companies.

Many of us don't understand that rules are made for our safety and better living. We always try not to follow the rules and give lame excuses.

Regards