On 3/22/2017 10:37 PM, Tim McNamara wrote:
On Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:48:40 -0500, AMuzi wrote:
On 3/22/2017 8:38 PM, John B. wrote:

Years ago I found a book in a used book shop that purported to be a
study on Thai social customs. It was quite obviously someone's
dissertation, although hopefully not for a PhD degree.

The author had never visited Thailand prior to the survey. He could
not speak the language and depended on a translator. He knew nothing
about the Buddhist religion as practiced in Thailand and the village
he surveyed had been used in a number of previous surveys.

He asked questions such as "If someone steals your water buffalo what
would you do?" The answer he used in his analysis was, "Nothing. The
thief probably needs it more that I do."

Another question was, "If you discovered that your wife was sleeping
with another man what would you do?" The answer, "I would forgive
her."

Now based on Buddhist morality these are nearly perfect answers but
based on the years I have lived in the country the real answers would
have been:

"I would get my shotgun and shoot that thieving SOB" and "I'd beat
her until she couldn't walk and take her back to her mother and get
the Sin Sod (bride price) back."

As the dissertation was published it is probable that it was
acceptable to the school but I've always wondered what sort of a
grade it resulted in?

(As an aside, I also wonder how much of U.S. foreign policy is based
on similar information :-) -- Cheers,

John B.


Easy question. All of it, of course.

LOL. Wait...

And much of our domestic policies are also based on assumptions and
beliefs that have little to nothing to do with reality.


+1
On this we can agree.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971