Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Why do Chinese people drag their feet when they walk?

I have noticed that over the past several years while living in China Town in Chicago that almost the entire population of the Chinese culture here drag their feet when they walk, it drive me crazy not because I am trying to pay attention to it, but because when every person around you is doing it, it tends to be noisy and VERY noticeable.



This is not an isolated thing and tends to run the gamete of old, young, male and female. There was an occasion a few weeks ago where a friend and myself were siting in a large public square area that has many shops and restaurants. My buddy looked at me and asked me why every person in dragging their feet. it was like zombies everywhere. All that you could see was an ocean of chinese people all dragging their feet and the noise was soooo beyond irritating.



I am not asking this question out of prejudice but out of curiosity.Why do Chinese people drag their feet when they walk?
I am a chinese, I do when I am tired. So my guess is, usually chinese people are a hardworking ethnic group and too much concentrate in their works, and when the work is done, they tend to be very tired.



I was born and raised in hongkong. When I first came to the usa, I was shock by seeing how slow people here work. Back in hongkong, lets say if you go to the bank, you would find staffs there worked with high working efficiency. You can imagine when they go back home, they would be very tired.



Many people here in the usa seem very laid back, sometimes, tooooo laid back.
I have been thinking about this for years and finally got my act together to ask the question on Yahoo. And thank God I'm not the only one who has reflected on this.

Some people ( I dont want to generalise, but noticed it mainly with the south east asian population) just do this a lot.

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Why do Chinese people drag their feet when they walk?
Being tired has nothing to do with it. There are many hard working people that don't drag their feet like that. Maybe when you all look alike you also want to walk alike.

For my western taste it is looks bad. It makes noise on the ground.

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When you look the same you want to walk the same.

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LOL! I'm Chinese and me and my friends have discussed this before, too, because we noticed we drag our feet when we walk. I hope you get some good, useful answers because I sure would like to know. I know it has nothing to do with height because even my taller Chinese friends do it.
don't old people drag their feet when they walk to?

i'm chinese, i don't drag my feet when i walk, and i walk faster than others.
Really? I have never seen a Chinese person dragging his/her feet. I'm Chinese and I certainly don't do that. In fact, when I walk, I take big steps and walk fast.
My boyfriend drags his feet but I don't think it's because he's Chinese, I'm pretty sure it's because he's an overtired music major lol...
It's a sort of shuffle. No, you are not imagining this. I'm in New York and I see the same thing. The ABC's (American-Born Chinese) don't walk that way, but the immigrants do.
WOw..

Interesting.. I never noticed that b4?? I guess I should observe how my Family Walks..
because it's fun
i wanna know too
hu hu lol I guess you will drag too when you are 100 years old......
I believe dragging their feet is part of the Chinese culture. If you were to think about centuries ago when the dynasties were still ruling China, there was the caste system. Well, I think dragging their feet showed respect for those higher in the cast, which in their turn dragged their feet to show respect and submission to the spirits and gods. Or maybe they just do not care... because there are enough white, black, brown or any other colour people who drag their feet as well, and it just irritates my brain when hearing that sound or seeing the state of their shoes.

I am only trying to make sense out of it too. Thanks!
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