In separate SES lessons, I have more or less learn the Chinese and America perceptions of self.
Basically, the Chinese perception of self is largely based on the Confucian Ideology, where the Chinese believes in collectivism, and the society has traditionally had a hierarchical structure resulting from Confucian ideas about the proper order of life and society. Values like filial piety, obeying your superiors totally without questioning their authority, and “society above self” are part of the culture. The American perception though, is very different. There is a lot of emphasis on individual rights like equality, freedom.
The Chinese perception of self has a very large impact on my life. My parents have inculcated in me some of these values. For example, my parents have taught me to respect my elders and even those who are same age or younger than me, whether it is teachers, relatives or strangers. It is normal for me to greet them in a polite tone, and in the case of teachers, bow to them. This is very useful in maintaining social cohesion. People will feel pleased when shown respect, quarrels and brawls will decrease significantly.
However, obeying your superior totally without questioning his authority is a disadvantage. In school, students will not disagree with the teachers and voice their opinions. Although it is respectful to avoid direct confrontation and open criticism, important views made by students will go to waste. Learning will thus be limited and one sided, since we only listen to what the teachers say. Fortunately, in lessons, students are encouraged to speak up in class rather than to keep mum and accept what the teacher has to say.
The Chinese perception of self consists of values like placing society before self. At first, I thought that this is about olden Chinese heroes who sacrifice their lives fighting for their country. However, after SES, I realized that it actually means that the individual must always think about the interest of the society, before the interest of oneself. There are examples of such acts, like Singapore’s war hero Lim Bo Seng, who sacrificed his life fighting valiantly against the Japanese. However, in the society now, it is very unusual to see somebody putting self interest as second priority. Of course, many people donate generously. For example, many ex alumni of a certain school, like Hwa Chong, donate to the school to build facilities to benefit students. However, this may not entirely be placing society over self as it is due to the good upbringing of the school that benefited the student, resulting in him repaying the school.
Also, my parents have taught me about filial piety. They said that in the past, they did not disobey their parents, and did as their parents say. However, the new generation is different. It is then when I realized the impact of American perception of self is influencing the Chinese one. There was once when my friends asked me out to have a day of fun. My mother showed her disapproval and said that I was still young, and could not look after myself. I questioned her decision, and insisted she allow me. What she said was,” in the past, when my mother said no, it was a no.” In the end, she let me go, although reluctantly. What Singaporean kids are learning to do is to question their parent’s authority, similar to that of American children.
Not only do the American perceptions of self consist of questioning authority, it includes freedom, ranging from freedom of speech to political freedom. The American perception of self has a huge impact on me and Singapore. In Singapore, we have adopted a democratic system of governance, which is influenced by America, where citizens can vote for their desired party. Imagine Singapore being ruled by the same party! It may turn out negatively as the party may be corrupted, thus ruining the country. However, freedom of speech may cause harm to a country. In Singapore, if someone freely expresses his views on sensitive issues like race or religion, it will cause a lot of riots, especially for such a multiracial country.
Equality is a value of the American perception of self. American perception of self has clearly influenced Singapore. In front of the law, everyone is equal, regardless of their background. I feel glad that I will not be wrongly accused and punished. Equality will also maintain social cohesion, and uphold the harmony in society.
In all, I feel that both perception of self have influenced me a lot, and both have its pros and cons. Also, I can see that the American perception of self has influenced many in Singapore, as certain Confucian values are unrealistic in the modern society, while the American one is much more attractive.
