中西文明交流與發展
文明交流大抵可追溯至伏羲時代，伏羲氏族是一個鄰近瀚海沙漠的遠古遊牧民族，在當時，人類文明仍普遍處於採集狩獵時期，文明相對先進的伏羲氏，相傳有教民結網、漁獵、畜牧、文字、八卦等事蹟。
如果伏羲的傳說是真，《山海經》的原始作者很可能就是他們，而世界各地的象形文字與東方面孔，或許都是他們文明傳播後的衍生。
東西文明的交流，自古以來一直存在，例如在商代的遺跡中，發現西方文明遺物與白人黑人遺骸，在周代秦國的遺跡中，也發現大量西方文物與不同人種，他們甚至為秦國製造鐵器，而此時的中原各國卻仍在使用青銅器。
The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf
A Shepherd Boy tended his master's Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd's pipe. One day as he sat watching the Sheep and the quiet forest, and thinking what he would do should he see a Wolf, he thought of a plan to amuse himself. His Master had told him to call for help should a Wolf attack the flock, and the Villagers would drive it away. So now, though he had not seen anything that even looked like a Wolf, he ran toward the village shouting at the top of his voice, "Wolf! Wolf!" As he expected, the Villagers who heard the cry dropped their work and ran in great excitement to the pasture. But when they got there they found the Boy doubled up with laughter at the trick he had played on them. A few days later the Shepherd Boy again shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!" Again the Villagers ran to help him, only to be laughed at again. Then one evening as the sun was setting behind the forest and the shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a Wolf really did spring from the underbrush and fall upon the Sheep. In terror the Boy ran toward the village shouting "Wolf! Wolf!" But though the Villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help him as they had before. "He cannot fool us again," they said. The Wolf killed a great many of the Boy's sheep and then slipped away into the forest.
牧童與狼
有個牧童在村莊附近的林邊放羊。由於放牧無聊單調，所以他很快就厭倦了。 一日，他望著羊群與森林，想到若狼來了怎麼辦，想著想著先找點樂子。 他的僱主曾告訴他“狼來了要求救，村民會趕走它。”他此時雖沒真的看到狼，卻跑向村莊狂喊「狼來了！…」 如他所料，村民聽到呼喊，就放下了工作，激奮地殺往牧場。但當他們到達那裡時，才發現被牧童耍笑了 幾天後，牧童又大叫「狼來了！…」村民再次馳援，只得再次被笑。 某天傍晚，夕陽西下樹影蔓延，果真有隻狼從草叢蹦出撲向綿羊。 驚恐的牧童奔向村莊喊「狼來了！…」雖然村民們聽到了哭喊，卻沒人像之前那樣幫他。「別想再耍我們」他們說。 狼殺掉很多牧童的羊，然後就溜進森林裡了。
上述《伊索寓言》故事，很可能是周幽王烽火戲諸侯故事的改編翻譯，因為受僱傭的牧童不敢這麼做，即便他無知無畏而真敢做，村民也不可能任由他耍笑，一定會找他的僱主算帳甚至直接抽這不懂事的孩子。
此外，將「All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd's pipe.」 翻譯為「無聊單調」更合文意且更加通順，因此，伊索的這則寓言故事，其原作者很可能是來自東方的商旅，而周幽王就是這故事的原始主角。
《史記》襃姒不好笑，幽王欲其笑萬方，故不笑。幽王為烽燧大鼓，有寇至則舉烽火。諸侯悉至，至而無寇，襃姒乃大笑。幽王說之，為數舉烽火。其後不信，諸侯益亦不至... 犬戎攻幽王。幽王舉烽火徵兵，兵莫至。遂殺幽王驪山下 …
秦國雖受到周代中原各國的歧視隔絕，但與西方的經濟文化交流卻沒斷過，所以沒被禮教束縛儒教腐化的秦國，能夠快速崛起而讓中原諸侯望塵莫及，秦國變法之所以能成功，秦國武器之所以能精良，就是因為不迂腐陳腐畫地自限。
到了秦代，秦始皇統一中國後，反而變得更加封閉保守，修築萬里長城徹底與外界隔絕，畫地自限以保障其萬世基業；秦國暴政很快就被推翻，但萬里長城留了下來，從此成為漢族人民的保守限制，也成為中華文化的隔閡枷鎖。
從漢張騫通西域的新鮮度，就足以反應周、秦、漢的陳腐度，漢族為對抗匈奴而尋求盟友，這才又重新打開交流之門，這些透過商隊而交流的文化，不但量少而且膚淺，然後東風西漸，中亞乃至於西方，各國也紛紛專制腐化起來，許多東西根本通不過，或是進得去卻出不來。
說到西方的專制文化，可能是參考東方文化的結果，由於東方泱泱大國的強盛，使西方的野心家羨慕不已，間接促成亞力山大帝國的興起，但由於缺乏共同的文化思想支撐，所以它的崩塌亦如它興起般快速。
亞歷山大的暴力搓合，反而使不同文化思想的民族更加對立，此後，羅馬帝國與波斯帝國興起，時至今日，歐洲與中東的矛盾仍未化解，西方文化是在暴力搓合長期分裂對峙中成形，與東方文化的核心綻放長期融合統一大致相反。