Many people believe that China's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s-70s destroyed Chinese morality and ethics. However, I argue that the Cultural Revolution merely exposed character traits that had already existed for over two thousand years. These characteristics were deeply embedded in Chinese imperial culture, creating patterns that persist even today.
The Emperor's Isolation and Relationships
The Forbidden City contained 1,008 buildings housing numerous concubines and servants. Despite this vast household, emperors often struggled with genuine intimacy. Like a child with too many toys, an emperor couldn't meaningfully connect with everyone around him. Following Pareto's principle, he likely formed close relationships with only a handful of people—perhaps five, like the fingers on one hand.
This isolation led to some concerning patterns. Emperors sometimes developed inappropriate relationships with male servants or their former wet nurses, reflecting the psychological distortions created by palace life.
The Women's Tragic Circumstances
The imperial palace housed at least 108 women as concubines. These women entered the palace through various means: some were daughters of officials seeking political advantage, others came through selection processes, and some were sent by families hoping to elevate their social status. Despite the large numbers, most lived lives of neglect and unfulfilled expectations.
The Children's Fractured Family Life
Perhaps most damaging was how imperial children were raised. Royal mothers didn't breastfeed their own children—wet nurses handled this duty. Children lived separately from their parents and siblings, creating weak family bonds. By age fifteen, princes were forced to leave the palace to establish their own residences, while princesses were married off for political alliances.
This system created sibling rivalry rather than familial love. Princes competed ruthlessly for succession, while princesses served as political pawns to strengthen their father's authority through strategic marriages.
The Lasting Impact
These imperial patterns—emotional isolation, transactional relationships, and fractured families—became deeply embedded in Chinese culture over two millennia. The palace system normalized behaviors that contradicted Confucian ideals of filial piety and family harmony.
This explains why, even in the 21st century, we still observe certain behavioral patterns among Chinese people that reflect this historical conditioning. The Cultural Revolution didn't create these traits—it simply revealed what had been shaped by centuries of imperial culture.
 
#cultural revolution#filial piety#Electra complex#Oedipus complex#distorted personality#reestablishment of character
 
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