ior. Triandis, a reknowned social psychologist, has spent years discovering, writing and teaching others about the differences between cultures. He draws attention to certain unexamined cultural values that prevail in the modern world by indicating that our ability to understand other cultures -- or even our own culture -- is tied to our ability to recognize such prejudices. He explains that our ability to understand ourselves and others is conditioned by our own patterns of making sense of things and determing their value. Culture influences our behavior in subtle ways. We make decisions subconsciously based on unexamined assumptions about what is true, what is valid, and even what is worthy of our attention. Triandis points out that such values need to be examined in light of historical realities of each culture. By becoming fully aware of these "biases," we can alert ourselves to the possibility that values at work within our own culture sometimes distort our effort to make sense of other cultural traditions. These "biases" are the essence of ethnocentric attitudes. However, it's always dangerous to make sweeping statements concerning how people behave, and generalizations, like some of Triandis', are no exception. New inter-cultural studies have pointed out that explaining certain cultural differences, from the dimension of individualism-collectivism, have recently come into question. (Hall, et al.,427)
             From a Westerner's viewpoint, this type of education is paramount to understanding differences between the world's people. However, understanding that some people do not view this type of education as useful might prove more valuable. For instance, a Taoist might consider the conclusions that Triandis has drawn, but he or she would see them as a subjective viewpoint. Value in the type of education that distinguishes differences, from a Taoist perspective, is entirely useless. Distinguishing differences by catagor...