1. Individual Freedom – Americans value individual freedom over the needs and desires of the group. Out of this grows the emphasis on privacy seen in the west, an obsession that is often baffling from a Chinese point of view.
2. Equality– While the Chinese respect their place in the hierarchy, Americans believe that everyone is essentially equal from an ethical standpoint – and should have the same basic rights and opportunities. This often leads to frustration when life does not meet their idealistic expectations and society operates unfairly. The Chinese seem to shoulder the inequities of life with more patience and forbearance than their western neighbors.