A Westerner might ask, "Where do you want to go for dinner?" An Indian asks, "What does the family want?" Decisions—from career choices to marriage partners—are rarely unilateral. This collective decision-making is the most defining trait of the Indian family lifestyle. It can be suffocating (imagine twenty aunties advising you on how to raise your toddler), but it is also liberating (imagine twenty uncles pooling money to send you to college).