Alternative Theory for Shady Business

Seen a lot of shady stuff in my 5 plus years here. Let's just say the standards here are sometimes morally challenged. There are many reasons for this and probably some very good theories that explain this behavior but let me add one to the discussion.

Its the 100 RMB bank note.

Its pinkish hue may give off an aura of innocence but because this note has the rough value of $14 USD and that 95% of all businesses in China still don't except any payment besides cash, it causes quite a dilemma. Sure it works just fine when going to the supermarket but have you ever tried to buy something expensive when your largest available denomination is only worth $14.

Try going to a U.S. car dealer and plopping down huge stacks of $10's to get into that new car. But in China it is expected that you carry huge stacks of cash to pay for larger purchases. A purchase equivalent of $10,000 requires a stack of nearly 700 ¥100 notes. The average Zhang (Joe) needs a briefcase of some sort just to move around manageable amounts of cash.

You start looking over your shoulder to make sure nobody is eyeing your cash.

You get nervous.

Your palms get a little sweaty.

Your heart begins pounding faster and faster.

Your reflexes heighten.

Before you know it you start getting the sense that you are doing something wrong... something shady. Harmless semi-regular activities begin to feel like more and more like shady business deals or some other potentially inappropriate activity because normally the only people that carry around large sums of unmarked cash are the people doing shady business deals and the like.

Perhaps when these nervous feelings occur frequently during harmless activities your conscience begins reading these feelings as 'normal' or 'accepted.' This becomes a problem when people do begin to dabble in 'shady' things because the normally protective conscience that usually throws up red flags at the first sign of trouble, now sits back in hibernation because these feelings are much too commonplace.

Maybe the ¥100 note is not the sole reason for shady business but I can't help but think it is a contributor.