Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part B (2024)

The different ways of thinking between China and the United States affect their national behavior and are an important reason for the differences between the two countries. Relatively speaking, Americans tend to prefer analytical and logical thinking, while Chinese people are better at holistic and dialectical thinking. Both countries believe that they have grasped the fundamental laws of the movement and change of things, representing the "correct" direction of the world's progress, so the differences are difficult to resolve. Taoist thinking is usually considered a representative ideology of dialectical thinking in China, but in reality, Taoist thinking can combine independent self and holistic thinking. Reasonable use of Taoist thinking can inspire both China and the United States to examine their own thinking shortcomings, promote understanding of each other's positions, and play a role in easing differences between China and the United States.