All societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others. - Geert Hofstede

In most collectivist cultures, direct confrontation of another person is considered rude and undesirable. The word no is seldom used, because saying “no” is a confrontation; “you may be right” and “we will think about it” are examples of polite ways of turning down a request. In the same vein, the word yes should not necessarily be inferred as an approval, since it is used to maintain the line of communication: “yes, I heard you” is the meaning it has in Japan.

Culture is the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from others.

Individualism implies a loosely knit social framework in which people are supposed to take care of themselves and of their immediate families only.