Asian deference towards westerners is endemic in Hong Kong. The attitude tinges the spectrum of relations between the two groups, from the legal to the romantic, and is a habit so ingrained that both givers and receivers may not even notice it. Those who are aware may choose to fight it, considering it a form of racism, partly imposed and partly self-inflicted. They may believe that this sort of relationship reflects badly on both parties and undermines the value of role models to which young people are exposed. Alternatively, they may see it as an inevitable dynamic in any social interaction between two culturally distinct or unequal parties. Surprisingly, it is the westerner who is at the wrong end of the transaction in many respects. Why? Because giving 'face' puts the receiver at ease - an invaluable and advantageous social skill on the part of the giver. The subtle ego boost the westerner enjoys is fraudulent, at least on any level significant to the sort of relations we are talking about. Deference is attributable to personal qualities, yes, but only in so much as they associate a person with the power and wealth of the west. I suspect pragmatism infiltrates even the rare cases of inferiority-based deference that play out between the groups. Yet, even among the most profoundly secure, one key identifier among Hong Kong's 'best and brightest' is a western education, lifestyle or connections. And if some high-achievers do not have that, they tend to do everything possible to make sure that their children do. Perceiving success in foreign terms is hardly new, of course. At this point in history, Europe looks up to the US in the way that Hong Kong looks up to the west in general. The only difference is that Hongkongers play the deference card because it corresponds to their cultural vocabulary, while Europeans more grudgingly recognise the dominance of the United States, and pay their homage in a characteristic tone of cynicism. Europeans also comfort themselves with the thought that the world's only superpower is part of the European story - a legacy of Europe's people and the social, political and economic systems they developed. So, Europe relates to America with a greater sense of commonality than exits in relations between Asians and westerners. Asia, it seems, missed the boat technologically and economically and it has been paying the price ever since. China was well ahead of Europe in every way that mattered at the start of the Ming dynasty and by rights ought to have hosted the industrial revolution. But it dropped the ball. This is not because of any sort of intrinsic inferiority, but because China took the logical Mongol-fearing decision to shift resources from exploration to building the Great Wall at this crucial time. Meanwhile, Europeans, although no more entrepreneurial than Asians, had the benefit of being part of a cluster of vigorous, cross-fertilising neighbour states at home and had fresh access to the New World's plentiful resources. But even assuming that western dominance is simply a question of historical and geographical luck, subsequent experiences locked the power differential into our collective psyches. Asians are surely marked by centuries of forced modernisation and humiliating exploitation. When a person's commerce with the world is fair and going well, they are invigorated, gain confidence and have high self-esteem. But when a person's dealings with the world falter, energy, assertiveness and self-esteem plummet. So it goes with populations. A certain amount of intellectualising can attenuate these problems. We can, to some extent, think our way out of relative lowliness. And there is the energy of the underdog, with the advantage of having less to lose. But while it may be comforting for Asians to remind themselves that western domination owes much to luck, this knowledge in itself is hardly likely to change entrenched patterns. Redressing history alone will have little to no effect. It takes success, in psychology as elsewhere in life, to breed success. Asians, given half a chance, already outstrip westerners academically and excel in sport and culture. The forums that count are all still western: Harvard, the Olympics, philharmonic orchestras. But such successes do count. The conventional wisdom seems to be that they are the first signs of the world's next big power shift. Just when and how fast those changes might take place is another question. But the global power base certainly will shift. Cultural evolution's alpha males are invariably toppled. At which time, the deferential shoe will be on the other foot. Jean Nicol is a Hong Kong-based psychologist and writer
