Out of the 2 perceptions of self, I feel that the Chinese perception has a greater impact in my life. Being born in China, I had been influenced by Chinese perception of self from a futile age. Values such as humility and loyalty are drilled into me by traditional Chinese grandparents. I respect the hierarchy within my family, even though I was one of the younger generations and stood the lowest among the huge family tree. I would listen to my elders politely in respect for them, and I would never dare to defy any mandatory demands from them.
In school, I was also greatly influenced by Chinese perceptions. In Hwa Chong Institution, values such as respect, "yin shui si yuan" (giving back to society) and win-win are emphasized greatly. In my opinion, these values shaped my school of thought and are also demonstrated through my actions in some cases. An example would be bowing down to teachers as a sign of respect for him/her. These values teach us to understand our ranks in society, to respect for the elderly and for those of higher status than we do. Indirectly, this creates a social hierarchy where everyone lives harmoniously with each other due to respect of superiority. The Chinese perception of self also teaches one to be grateful and giving back to society and our benefactors. This is manifested in my childhood dream, where I want to get a good job in the future, and donate large amounts of wealth back to society and my benefactors so that more people would benefit from my munificence. It encourages one to put the community above self, and to sacrifice some self-interests for the greater good. For group work, I would reckon it worthy to spend much effort to accomplish it well. I would put the group above my self-interests to work towards higher benchmarks for the benefit of all group members.
However, I cannot deny that the American perception of self also has a great impact in my life. It emphasizes much on Liberty and freedom of different choices. This perception is also demonstrated in our daily lives. For example, social net-working sites such as facebook and twitter encourages freedom of speech. It acts as a platform for one to voice out one's views without having to fear being jailed or reprimanded for doing so. The education in Hwa Chong also enhances its impact on me. In school, I have to speak up during class discussions and during Current Affairs sessions because it is actually a component in our grades. In such an education, I am encouraged to speak up bravely, which has an acquaintance with the American perception's freedom of speech.
From my perspective, I would see myself as another ordinary building block of society. I think that everything that I every owned, is given to me by society and the generosity by numerous philanthropists. Just like the Chinese perception, I feel strongly that we should all work towards a common goal and put society above self. In this way, we are able to advance together at a high speed, since a group of people are able to muster much more power and strength than the individual. I think that by doing so, we are able to bring a greater good for everyone. We should also respect our leaders and elders to ensure social harmony. They are of a higher status than us, and we should respect the social hierarchy to minimise conflicts between people of different statuses.
After attending SES lesson, I feel that I have to re-examine myself in society. After taking a step back and analysing both perceptions of self, I have to admit that I felt more inclined towards the American perception of equality and individual rights and freedom. I feel that we should not just adhere to the laws of a nation or the instructions of our superiors without any thought. We have think and question them critically, and not just blindly. Furthermore, I think that questioning our superior is not necessarily being rude or defiant. We are just broadening the perspective so that there will be minimum flaws in the judgements. I also do not think that it is fair solely for the superior to make important decisions, in the context of the workplace and in society. All of us a part of it, and we too, should be in charge of doing what is best for ourselves. Since all of us are a part of society, then we should emphasize on equality for everyone, not conforming to the social hierarchy and only listening to the superiors. We should also exercise our rights and make decision for society together.
In all, I feel that both perceptions have affected my thinking and behaviour, but the Chinese perception had the greater impact due to my roots and the education I receive. Both perceptions have their advantages and disadvantages, and it is not necessary to adopt either one. I would incorporate the beneficial elements into my own unique perception which will shape me into a gentleman, critical thinker and play a better role in society.
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