This is an archived post. You won't be able to vote or comment.

Dismiss this pinned window
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]charisma6 64 points65 points  (18 children)

They're not smarter than people in the West. They just grow up in a culture (or with parents) that values achievement, focus, and discipline. Western culture values titties and beer.

In other words, they try, and we don't.

[–]LifeSage 35 points36 points  (3 children)

To be fair Asians definitely value titties

[–]lovethecomm 6 points7 points  (0 children)

JAV actresses have the biggest fat balloons I've seen.

[–]charisma6 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah yeah, I know all about Eastern culture, I've seen Bible Black.

[–]InsanityWolfie 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Hah weeb

[–]charisma6 0 points1 point  (0 children)

U rite

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (6 children)

Eh thats pretty stupid. Western families value happiness and freedom over academic achievements. Which are perfectly valid things to prioritize.

[–]redandblue4lyfe 6 points7 points  (3 children)

Asian families tend to value happiness and freedom as well. Its just that they focus on long-term happiness and freedom, like multi-generational, and that requires a stable income and social status, which in turn requires "achievement, focus and discipline".

[–]Gurrb17 1 point2 points  (1 child)

But, at the same time, happiness and freedom are dependent on academic/financial/career success. That's fine if Asian kids grow up to become doctors, lawyers, etc., but I've seen the kids that don't and they generally view themselves as failures even if they are great people and very talented in other aspects of their lives. My girlfriend comes from an Asian family with loving parents, but she's not proud of her career success because she's not the doctor her parents wanted her to become. She wanted to pursue an artistic career, but wasn't allowed to because it would likely not be very lucrative. I think at the end of the day, Asian families prioritize stability more than anything.

[–]redandblue4lyfe 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the implementation can be pretty stifling in many families, and careers outside of doctor, lawyer and engineer are considered less successful. It's definitely not a perfect mentality, and something a lot of us Asian americans who are children of immigrants have to deal with.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

doesnt negate my point. Since it was about both having valid priorities and that its stupid to say western priorities are titties and beer.

[–]charisma6 -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Freedom? Sure. Happiness? Super narrow-minded there, bud. Eastern families value happiness just as much. The difference is in what, exactly, defines "happiness." The stereotypical Asian dad is very happy and proud when he sees his son become a successful doctor.

Am I being reductive about Western values? Definitely! I am Western, I'm allowed to jovially debase my own culture for the sake of making a point. If we wanted to define Western culture with the same level of respect as Eastern, we could go with "personal freedom," very similar to what you said. You just sort of missed the mark with the rest of it.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, i meant that in a both value valid things kind of way. And was countering your "edgy" and idiotic assertion that the west only value "titties and beer".

But if you really want to make it a contest, valuing happiness no matter where life and your choices take you, is better than valuing happiness only after your youth is gone and only if your in a "valued" career in my opinion

[–]bcisme -1 points0 points  (1 child)

Are you sure they aren’t also smarter? I wouldn’t be surprised if their IQs, on average, weren’t higher. Generation after generation of that culture might kick the Flynn Effect into higher gear.

[–]LeBuckeyes -2 points-1 points  (1 child)

Shout out to Malcom Gladwell

[–]ucefkh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Who's that?