Cradle Effect

The comforting embrace, enchanting music, and rhythmic motion of the milonguero style of tango can lull a woman into a daydream-like state - akin to a baby swaying to sleep in her cradle - so deeply that when the tanda ends, she may not want to wake. I call this magical experience the “cradle effect” (see Tango Is a Feeling).

At the beginning of a tanda, a woman may try to keep some distance if she doesn’t know her partner well. However, an experienced leader knows how to help her relax, ease her resistance, and captivate her with the dance. Here are three ways to achieve this.

1. Create a Comfortable Embrace
The first is to offer a comfortable embrace, or to put it figuratively, provide her with a cozy cradle. You must embrace her gently, tenderly and affectionately so that she feels comfortable and safe, not confined or coerced. You should allow her the space she desires, but must do your best to lead her with your torso rather than your arms and hands. When she follows your torso instead of your arms and hands, her focuse is on the feelings rather than the steps, and her experience of the dance becomes emotional rather than mechanical.

2. Engage Her with the Music
The second is to immerse her in the music, or figuratively speaking, hypnotize her with the music. You must dance the music and not the steps, so that her attention is tuned to the music rather than the steps. You have to let her resonate with the music and forget about the movements in order to enter the daydreaming state. To do so you need to present her with your own interpretation of the music. If you step to every beat mechanically without any interpretation, then she will do the same without actually listening to the music. Here again, good music plays a crucial role, which, however, is in the hands of the DJ. Dancers can only use whatever music provided to them as much as possible (see My Two Cents on Music Selections).

3. Keep the Steps Simple
The third is to make the steps simple and easy so that she doesn't need to work hard on the movements and is able to give her full attention to the music and feelings. You should not make her do intricate, fancy steps because the goal here is to mesmerize her and not to impress. Difficult steps defeat that purpose. Generally speaking, natural, small, simple, and rhythmic movements make it easier for the woman to enter a state of surrender. When you feel her stop struggling and fully give herself over to the moment, she is in that state.

On her part, all she needs to do is relaxing her body and surrendering herself to the man (see Learning Tango: Two Perspectives). The woman must overcome her ego, independence and desire to act, focusing instead on the embrace, connection, music, feelings, synchronization and being one with the man. Women in general are more intuitive, emotional, and responsive to music and sensory hypnosis, which may explain tango’s particular allure for them.

That said, the “cradle effect” is not exclusive to women. Men, too, desire to be rocked to sleep in a woman's cozy embrace. When both partners know how to do it, the dance becomes mesmeric, intoxicating and unforgettable (see Tango Is a Relationship).

Understanding China: Geography, Confucianism, and Chinese-Style Modernization

Five thousand years ago, tribal alliances and city-states emerged in the Yellow River Basin and Yangtze River Basin in eastern Asia. These civilizations gradually merged into one, known as China, and continued to expand until they encountered natural obstacles in every direction. To China's northeast lay the cold and harsh Siberia, while the north was dominated by the desolate Mongolian Deserts. The west consisted of numerous mountain ranges with altitudes exceeding 5,000 meters, among them the highest peak of Himalayas rises to 8,848 meters above sea level. The southwest featured the rugged terrain of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and dense tropical jungles, and to the southeast and east lay the vast Pacific Ocean. These formidable natural barriers, insurmountable in ancient times, effectively isolated China from the outside world. Protected by these natural obstacles, the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins enjoyed a temperate climate and abundant rainfall brought by the Pacific monsoon, making these regions ideal for agriculture. This unique geographical environment played a key role in shaping the distinct characteristics of the Chinese nation.

The Chinese civilization was able to develop its unique and remarkable culture largely due to geographical barriers that prevented outside influence. These same barriers also provided protection against foreign aggression, allowing China to remain the only civilization to survive uninterrupted for five thousand years. Confined by these natural obstacles, the ancient Chinese believed that the land they inhabited constituted the main body of the world, which they called tianxia—literally, "under heaven." The Yellow River and Yangtze River basins were located at the center of their world; thus, China was named Zhongguo, or literally, "central country." Richly endowed by nature, China was far more developed than the surrounding uncivilized fringe lands. Chinese peasants, who settled in kinship-based villages, became deeply attached to their fertile farmland and showed little interest in exploring the arid, barren regions beyond their borders. This fostered their restrained temperament. Instead of expanding outward militarily, they built the Great Wall to protect themselves from northern nomads. This 21,000-kilometer wall, located along the 400 mm isoprecipitation line and spanning from east to west, served as a dividing line between agrarian and nomadic lifestyles. Nomads who entered the Great Wall were eventually assimilated into Chinese farming culture, becoming Chinese themselves. Thus, Chinese civilization is a product of its geography, attesting to the advantage of a sedentary, productive way of life over a nomadic, predatory one. The Chinese take great pride in their land, culture, and lifestyle, as China was the most developed, civilized, and prosperous country in the world until the Industrial Revolution.

Due to this closed geographical environment, the ancient Chinese formed their monistic worldview, believing that the world was an integrated whole rather than a collection of fragmented parts. The Chinese world was not a pluralistic world, composed of many sovereign countries, but a monistic world, with China being the only civilized empire at its center. The surrounding ethnic tribes were regarded as vassals within the Chinese tributary system, many of which were gradually sinicized and became part of China. In 221 BC, the state of Qin (pronounced "chin") unified China by defeating all other states. Qin established a centralized empire, abolishing enfeoffment and instituting a system of prefectures and counties. It standardized laws, the writing system, currency, vehicle tracks, weights, and measures (see The Impact of Chinese Characters). Some researchers pointed out that the need to share water resources and carry out large-scale water conservancy and irrigation projects was an important reason why the ancient Chinese attached importance to unity, sharing, cooperation, and a collectivist and centralized system (see Understanding China: Yellow River and the Character of the Chinese Nation). Qin's system, inherited by all subsequent dynasties, laid the groundwork for China's enduring unification and profoundly shaped the stability, sophistication, and continuity of Chinese culture. In turn, this culture has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for assimilation and integration. The Confucian concept of dayitong, or grand unity, reflected this holistic and all-encompassing nature of Chinese culture. Its influence was so profound that neighboring vassal states sought to emulate it. Throughout history, many ethnic groups that partially or entirely conquered China were eventually assimilated into Chinese culture. This process of sinicization, rather than military expansion, is responsible for China's vast territory and stands as a testament to the strength of Chinese civilization.

Consistent with this monistic worldview is the Confucian perspective on society, which is also holistic. The 大同 (datong) society—the Confucian ideal of a harmonious society as described in Confucian classics—envisions a world where people collectively care for its well-being. In such a society, the wise and virtuous are chosen to govern, honest people live in harmony, the weak and sick are cared for, and there is no evil or crime. Unlike in the West, where individuals are regarded as independent entities accountable primarily to their own interests, and where the strong dominating the weak is the norm, causing people to be egocentric and belligerent, Confucianism advocates for a society that is like a large family, wherein members cooperate, seek common ground, prioritize communal interests over personal ones, and work together as a team. In Confucianism, individuals are not viewed as isolated and autonomous but as integral members of society, born into specific relationships with defined roles and responsibilities. They adhere to etiquettes designed to maintain social harmony, much like tango dancers observing milonga codes in the milongas. These etiquettes or proprieties were practiced even before Confucius’s time, by the people of the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC–771 BC). Confucius (551 BC–479 BC) and his disciples were ardent advocates and scholars of these ancient rites. In essence, Confucianism is deeply rooted in an earlier Chinese tradition.

Confucianism emphasizes the importance of harmonious relationships among individuals and society as a whole. It holds that a stable society must rest on a solid foundation, and that foundation is the people. A Confucian ruler is likened to the head of a large family, with authority derived from the people and a responsibility to ensure their well-being. As Confucius said, "The ruler is the boat, and the people are the water. Water can carry the boat, and water can overturn the boat." Mencius (372 BC–289 BC), another prominent Confucian sage, similarly underscored the central role of the people, asserting that they are the most important, followed by the state, with the monarch being the least. Confucianism teaches that a ruler’s legitimacy stems from the support or mandate of the people, and an unrighteous ruler will lose that mandate. In essence, Confucianism represents a people-centered collectivist humanism, in contrast to the individualistic humanism of the West. This collectivist philosophy has profoundly influenced Chinese politics, shaping ideals such as Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People, the Chinese Communist Party's mission of serving the people, and, more recently, Xi Jinping’s initiative to build a community with a shared future for all mankind. (See Democracy vs. Plutocracy.)

Rooted in this collectivist humanism, Confucianism advocates for the concept of benevolent governance. Confucius believed that benevolence is the essence of human nature, distinguishing humans from animals. Unlike Machiavelli, who separated morality from politics, Confucius asserted that personal morality and the governance of a country are closely related. A ruler must be saintly at heart—a moral leader and role model—and only through self-cultivation can he manage his family, govern his country, and bring peace to the world. Confucius placed great emphasis on the role of proprieties but maintained that these external expressions must be grounded in benevolence to be authentic; otherwise, they become mere façades of insincerity. His followers, however, divided into two camps: one school emphasized benevolence and was later recognized as the orthodoxy of Confucianism, while the other prioritized proprieties and eventually evolved into Legalism. The unification of China by the Qin state in 221 BC was achieved through the use of military power and the application of severe penal laws under the influence of the Legalist school of thought. Due to its brutality, the Qin Dynasty survived with only two rulers before it was overthrown by widespread rebellions. Learned from this lesson, in 134 BC, Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty accepted the advice of a Confucian scholar, Dong Zhongshu (179 BC–104 BC), to replace other schools of thought with Confucianism as the exclusive doctrine and to implement benevolent rule. Since then, Confucianism has become the official ideology of China. Unlike Christianity and Machiavellianism, which assert that human nature is inherently evil, Confucianism holds that human nature is inherently good. Therefore, it opposes the Legalist reliance on strict laws and harsh punishments as primary tools of governance, instead advocating for rule through virtue and education. This approach gave rise to the Chinese tradition of prioritizing morality and learning.

In 587 AD, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty established the imperial examination system, which integrated education and official selection into a single system. The imperial examination system played a pivotal role in shaping China's advanced and effective political bureaucracy. It further promoted Confucian learning, opened the way for talented individuals from all walks of life to enter politics, and gave rise to the scholar-official class. China's modern civil servant selection system is an evolution of this imperial examination system. Many researchers argue that, compared to Western electoral democracy, China’s meritocratic system is better equipped to produce leaders with moral integrity, practical knowledge, and strong abilities, as evidenced by China's illustrious history and recent economic achievements. However, in the past, the imperial examination system failed to prevent the recurrence of dynastic cycles. Today, China seeks to address this shortcoming through political reforms, such as collective decision-making, age and term limits for officials, clean government initiatives, self-correction mechanisms, disciplinary inspection, anti-corruption campaigns, public supervision of the government, reporting and petitioning systems, and impeachment procedures. These efforts aim to improve governance, ensure accountability, and prevent the emergence of autocracy.

Based on this people-centered collectivist humanism, Confucianism advocates for the equitable distribution of wealth and denounces practices of prioritizing economic interests over morality, using unethical means to accumulate wealth, competing for monetary gain, and widening the gap between rich and poor. Confucians argued that the ruler should disperse the nation's wealth among the people and not compete with the people for wealth. As Confucius said, “Rulers should not worry about not having enough but about inequality.” This moral perspective encouraged Chinese rulers throughout history to adopt more egalitarian policies and implement benevolent governance. However, the emphasis on morality over economic gain historically led to the devaluation of merchants in traditional Chinese society, where they ranked below scholars, farmers, and craftsmen. The early practices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 reflected this Confucian tendency, prioritizing morality and scholarship over business. During the reform and opening-up era initiated by Deng Xiaoping, however, the government shifted its stance to encourage business and entrepreneurship, coining the slogan “letting some people get rich first.” Subsequently, the Chinese government introduced policies aimed at poverty alleviation and anti-monopoly efforts, upholding the Confucian tradition of egalitarianism while recognizing the importance of economic development as a means to achieve common prosperity. The Confucian emphasis on production over commerce has also contributed to China’s physiocratic tradition, prioritizing agriculture and manufacturing instead of taking the path of profit-driven capitalism, mercantilism and financialism that may initially stimulate the growth of the economy but will umtimately lead to its hollowing out, corruption and failure (see Mammonism).

Another Confucian concept that has a profound influence is the doctrine of the mean, which emphasizes the virtues of moderation and harmony. Confucius believed that harmony is the fundamental law of nature, and the Golden Mean is the path to achieving it. He argued that extremism causes things to reverse into their opposites, that excess is as harmful as deficiency, and that humility, politeness, impartiality, and avoiding extremes are the qualities of a true gentleman. Deviation from the doctrine of the mean, as history has repeatedly shown, can lead to disastrous consequences for a country (see Meeting in the Middle). It is worth noting that this Confucian proposition is incompatible with Western liberalism and individualism. Chinese people lack the arrogant, bigoted, extreme, domineering and aggressive spirit of many Westerners, Confucianism is the main reason. This emphasis on moderation, balance and harmony has discouraged the Chinese from engaging in Western-style partisan politics, which tend to create division, conflict, hostility and polarity. While Western culture prioritizes partisanship and competition, Chinese culture values unity and cooperation. The Chinese tend to approach issues in a holistic, comprehensive, and balanced manner. Today's Chinese leadership is acutely aware that both morality and personal freedom are important and an excessive focus on either one can be harmful. Overemphasis on morality can suppress initiative and creativity, while overemphasis on individual liberty can exacerbate conflict and inequality. Striking a balance, however, is no easy task. Historically, Confucian morality was transformed by Neo-Confucianists into a rigid ideology that restricted personal freedom. Western liberalism and individualism represent the opposite extreme. The Chinese now strive to find a balance that aims at a society respecting both individual freedom and social morality (see Pluralism vs. Monism).

The peaceful life of the Chinese has finally come to an end. In 1840, Western powers used opium, warships and cannons to finally bombard China's door open, forcing the Qing Dynesty (1644-1911), the last Chinese dynesty, to sign a series of unequal treaties for ceding territories and indemnities. Confronted with this humiliating defeat and the stark disparity between an agricultural China and the already industrialized West, the Chinese began seeking ways to save their country. Over the eight decades following the Opium War, they attempted various measures: the Westernization Movement (1861–1895), which aimed to develop China's industry and modernize its armies and navies; the Reform Movement of 1898, which sought to overhaul China's imperial system; and the Revolution of 1911, which overthrew the monarchy. Despite these efforts, none succeeded in saving China. The plundering by Western powers, combined with the chaotic power struggles among domestic warlords after the monarchy's collapse, drained China's resources. Once the richest country in the world, China was reduced to one of the poorest.

Some Chinese eventually concluded that the root of China's struggles lay in its culture. In 1919, the radical May Fourth New Culture Movement broke out. In a desperate attempt to find solutions, some Chinese intellectuals blamed Confucianism, particularly Neo-Confucianism, for China's failures, accusing it of restricting individual freedom and social progress. They advocated dismantling Confucianism and replacing it with Western-style liberal democracy and capitalism. Other Chinese intellectuals, however, were skeptical of Western liberalism and capitalism and instead turned to another Western ideology—Marxism—believing that socialism aligned more closely with the Confucian ideal of a harmonious society. This ideological divide led to a confrontation between the KMT and the CCP. Ultimately, the side with the support of the majority of the Chinese people prevailed, and the KMT retreated to the Chinese island of Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait. In the first three decades following the founding of New China in 1949, the Chinese, while facing a blockade by Western powers, did many groundwork for its latter development, including land reform, women's liberation, universal free education and healthcare, and basic industrial infrastruture building, etc. Many lessons were learned from trial and error. In 1978, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the CCP re-examined the lessons from the previous thirty years and decided to implement reform and opening-up policies. This initiative aimed to unleash people's potential by introducing market mechanisms into the Chinese economy while preserving the structural advantages of its socialist system.

We have all witnessed what followed. In just 40 years, China has been miraculously transformed from a poor and weak country into the world's second-largest economy, achieving a 42-fold increase in GDP. It has become the world’s largest manufacturing powerhouse, lifted 770 million people out of poverty, created a middle class of over 400 million, and increased per capita income by 23 times. Additionally, the average life expectancy in China now surpasses that of the United States. China has also emerged as the world's largest investment market, largest consumer market, and largest trading partner with more than 130 countries, playing an increasingly significant role in the global economy and international affairs. Unlike some Western powers that engage in hegemonism, bullying, intervention, containment, subversion, and coercive diplomacy, China’s foreign policies adhere firmly to the five guiding principles of international relations: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. These principles are further supported by China's Belt and Road Initiative for global common prosperity and its initiative to establish a community with a shared future for mankind. These foreign policies reflect obvious Confucian influences and are gaining support from an increasing number of countries worldwide.

Once again, China has entered one of the most prosperous periods in its history, and it did so not through aggression, conquest, or plundering other nations, but by leading its own people to work hard and fostering cooperation with other countries for mutually beneficial outcomes. This remarkable achievement has restored the Chinese people's confidence in their philosophy, culture, system, and chosen path. The core values of Chinese civilization, established by Confucianism, have been integral to this success. Without these values, socialism with Chinese characteristics and Chinese-style modernization—a unique form of modernization that emphasizes civilized values, equality, justice, green economy, common prosperity, peaceful development, and international cooperation—would not have been possible. Confucianism embodies the accumulated wisdom of the Chinese people, highlighting the unity, balance, and harmony between man and nature, individuals and society, law and virtue, morality and economy, rulers and the people, as well as among individuals themselves. With its holistic vision, magnanimity, idealism, and positive outlook, Confucianism has served as both a unifying force and a source of strength for the Chinese people, inspiring them to continually improve themselves and their country, and giving China its competitive edge. Although Confucianism must adapt to evolving times, as it has done throughout history, it remains deeply ingrained in the language, culture, mindset, behavior, and consciousness of the Chinese people. For more than two millennia, Confucianism has been repeatedly tested, enriched, and replenished by successive generations of Chinese and will undoubtedly continue to influence their pursuit of a brighter future. (See Darwinism and Confucianism.)