The Political Is Personal

Abstract

The author tried to make sense of the Chinese political world from their point of view. Their narrative of Chinese history was unlike any she had ever encountered and this chapter details her effort to empathically understand how they viewed the world, in particular how they related to democratic ideas. Chinese fears of chaos and disunity, born of their history, are central to their political organization. As the author tried to find common philosophical ground with the Chinese students, they labelled her a Daoist. They understood her approach to therapy as counseling action through inaction and stressing values of compassion, moderation, and humility, all quite similar to Daoist teaching.