Personally, I prefer the Western perception of self but I cannot deny that the Chinese values impacted my life most.
My behavior and personality are very much shaped by the Chinese perception of self. Since young, I was taught Chinese values at home and in school. To a large extent, these values have influenced me to be the person I am today.
I tend to be more Chinese in my approach and thinking. Let me illustrate with an example. I respect my teachers, listen to their instructions and do what I am told to do. I do not question unless when necessary. Even with my friends, I refrain from arguing with them as I feel that we should respect one another, not just those more senior than us. I am a product of the Chinese teachings from my parents and teachers.
Also, peace which is another Chinese value is the motto in my life. I have met people who have been unpleasant. Some were verbally abusive and when you let them off, they came back and hit you even harder. While most people would flare up easily and retaliate, I choose to give them a second chance. I think fighting back is not going to solve the problem. It may even aggravate the situation. I deal with such people by keeping a distance from them. I like to settle things in a peaceful way. I practice tolerance which is what the Chinese preaches.
While the Chinese perception of self has influenced me so far, I feel that as I grow older, the Western perception of self appeals to me more.
I feel that Hwa Chong is making conscious efforts to encourage the students to speak up. We are give oral participation marks and at secondary 3, we have new subject like Socio Economic Studies. Personally, I enjoy SES lessons the most. It is one lesson you feel free to voice your opinions and have no fear about being scolded by the teacher. As students, the freedom to say what you want is a privilege and I appreciate Hwa Chong’s efforts in this area.
With freedom of speech, some of us may even ask for more freedom to do what we want. However, I feel that the freedom should only be given when we are more mature.
I think that giving too much freedom when we are not ready for it can be disastrous. “The Google Way” portrays freedom as a wonderful thing which allows workers to work in a less stressful environment and come out with innovative products. However, what it fails to show is the undesirable consequences that come with it.
A common misconception that some of us have is more freedom means less stress. In fact, having more freedom may create more stress. This is because there is no standard protocol to follow and you have little guidance.
So not all of us are ready for more freedom, you need a lot of self-discipline. There is no doubt that some are good enough but I also feel that we should accommodate those who are weaker. At the end of the day, the stronger ones will survive in a system with less freedom but the weaker ones will struggle in a system with a lot of freedom. Therefore, I feel that the current system meets our needs and we should remain status quo.
While I like more freedom in the years to come, I must say that the Chinese perception of self will still be the cornerstone in my life. I believe you need both to balance up. When you have more freedom, you must not forget the respect for others. We must always remember that words hurt more than action and we should not do onto others what we do not want others to do onto us.
In conclusion, the Chinese perception of self has played a big part in my life and will remain to be so. I look forward to more freedom as I mature and can take responsibility for my own actions but I will remember the importance of respect for others and loyalty to my family, friends and country.
Done by : Alastair Pang (3S2 19)
(745 words)
