Just a little bit of Guanxi makes life work!

Success in life among Chinese-speaking societies depends on the network of relationships within a small, close group of people -- usually family or a few friends. This group provides a secure base of resources for survival, economic advancement and mutual support. "Guanxi," literally "a closed system," is the word used to describe these relationships, whether they include extended family, friends, or other close associates.

Each person in the group is expected to sacrifice his own personal interests or desires for the common good so that the group as a whole can move up socially and especially economically. Each person also carefully considers how to invest in relationships that will build obligations which can then be used to help the group in the future. In societies with huge populations and limited resources, guanxi is vital for successful, stress free living and necessary to secure the daily needs of life.

When facing any difficulty or problem, the question is, first of all, not "What can I do about this?" but "Who do I know? What kind of connections do I have that could help here?"

Westerners who are friends with East Asians are often surprised to find that the direct method of securing hotel reservations, tickets, visas, doctor appointments, or anything else is only for foreigners who have no friends. Only foreigners would go to the appropriate desk or window and wait in a crowd (rarely could it be called a "line").

Westerners are also amazed at the extraordinary expenditures of time and effort which will be made for them by a friend or "brother" of their friend, who has not met them before and will never see them again. The Westerner is very grateful for the assistance and easing of stress, the friend has been able to raise his own status and that of his family by demonstrating the "good connections" he has, and the "friend of the friend" has strengthened the bonds of obligation which he will be able to use in return to ask for help when he needs it.