If it does inspire a collective sense of shame at home that a Chinese teenager etched his name on a stone carving at the Luxor Temple in Egypt, we need to have enough courage to face the truth that there is indeed much to be desired when it comes to our compatriots' behavior and decorum, both at home and abroad.

The teenager from Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, was reported to have cried in remorse after his wrongdoing caused a sensation and his parents have publicly apologized for what their son did. The public scorn should be a severe enough lesson for him. But his parents are also to blame for his action.

It is inappropriate for some Chinese to consider it a shame only because it took place on foreign soil. All those who have used the Internet to identify the boy should take a good look at themselves and see if they are responsible for any uncivilized or indecent behavior.