Top Reasons Never to Humor an English Bandit
1. Moral Reasons - You do not owe anyone anything just by virtue of your having come into existence and being who you are. If you accept owing English to anyone who wants it as your debt to the world, then I suggest you also prepare to give to every beggar and donate to every last charity that comes knocking at your door as well. Unless you want to be a hypocrite. If you accept the idea that you owe English to anyone — then please tell me: Why doesn't anyone else from any other language background owe the world anything? What sin have you committed in being born an English-speaker? It's not as if you had any choice in the matter, did you?
When in doubt, remember Ayn Rand's words of wisdom.
“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine” (Atlas Shrugged, 680, 993).
2. For the Honor of English - At least in China, the
greatest majority of English learners and Bandits are learning with just one
thing in mind: MONEY. One's English level determines what kind of job he can
get. So for such people learning is not a labor of love, but a tedious misery —
or at the very best an unwelcome obstacle. Unless you truly have a deep-rooted
hatred for the English language, do you really want to spit in its face by
helping people who take no spiritual interest in it whatsoever, but who will
tell you to your face (as many Chinese have told me) that "language is just a
tool"? Language is not a tool. Language is everything.
If you don't believe me that their intentions are something ferocious impure — see if your would-be abusers have any familiarity or even interest in learning the slang and colloquialisms necessary to having a casual friendly conversation (that doesn't sound like a technical document). Then see if they have ever made any effort or taken any special interest in any area of English that doesn't pertain specifically to making more money. Like, have they ever read a poetry book or become especially fascinated with some highly regarded famous literature? I think you'll find in most cases the answer is an overwhelming "no". You should not hold these kind of people in high regard. They have no chosen English because they believe it has any specific intrinsic virtues, but purely for external reasons. If their interest was as honest and pure as yours, then a mere fraction of those that did chose English would still have chosen it. The rest (and most likely your Bandit) would have likely chosen something entirely else, be it obscure or with something especially interesting or appealing to the learner.
3. Because You Have a Modicum of Self-Respect in Your Bones -
We've all heard disturbing stories of the lengths to which some people in this
world will go to get what they want. Just look at the depths of depravity
reached by dictators in their quest for power; just look at the back-stabbing
politics your friends complain about encountering in the office at work
everyday. Don't blindfold yourself with the evasive line of thought that a
certain person has many redeeming virtues, makes a fantastic friend, always
helps you out, but just, for some odd reason, doesn't seem willing to speak to
you in any language but English, but that considering everything else it is
somehow "okay".
Have enough self-respect to examine your "friends" through the inversed-relationship hypothetical mirror. Imagine that friendly Korean student who you met at McDonalds was actually in America, and that it was you who approached him, but in Korean instead of English, and you were just as nice as jubilee on Christmas, but just bluntly rejected every English word he muttered. Imagine now that you pressured him every time he did mutter an English word until he had lost all confidence and was convinced that it wasn't you being unfriend-like but just that his English was so piss-poor that it would make you uncomfortable to hear it. No imagine you pull this charade for six ongoing months, hanging out with him several times per week and sucking dry the last few weeks he has in America to realize his dream of speaking in a foreign tongue. By now he has completely given up on spending any of his time hanging out with his "good buddy" speaking English and just accepts the reality — blaming himself and his own mistake of not learning English well enough before arriving.
Sound familiar? Well the story certainly is not familiar to America. But people coming from Japan, China, Korea and other nations to realize their foreign language fantasy are too psychologically strong, unapologetic, and smart to put up with this kind of abuse and bullshit. But it is all too common for the altruistic I-owe-everyone indoctrinated nice American that shows up on Asia's doorstep. Please guys, let's stop being tools.