The Chinese and
America perceptions of self are 2 of the most contrasting beliefs in the
current era of Chinese and American dominance - or at least it is perceived as
so. The Chinese perceptions of self are mainly based on the Confucian ideology
which postulates the belief in collective well over individual welfare whereas
the Americans favour individual welfare over collective interest with
an accentuation on individual rights.
Having been living
in a cosmopolitan society of Singapore, both beliefs have had a somewhat equal
impact on my life - albeit in different ways. For example, Confucianism has
helped in shaping my moral beliefs. The Confucian ideology promotes the notion
of obedience and respect to the elders. This idea is due to filial
piety which Confucianism promotes - that the younger ones are to obey the
elder's orders without defiance. My moral beliefs have also been influenced by
the moral education system in the schools I have attended and my family
background. I have been receiving education in 2 schools with one of them HCI,
which places a huge accentuation on Confucian values such as 仁，礼. I
am also born in a family where my parents inculcate into me Chinese Moral
values, in which a huge part is related to Confucianism. Hence, having grown up
in such an environment, it is an undoubted fact that my moral beliefs are
largely influenced by the ideas which Confucian ideology emphasizes.
On the other hand,
American perceptions of self are influenced western ideology of individual
rights, which postulates the presence of individual interests for everyone. I
believe the western ideology has also influenced my life in terms of the way
Singapore is governed. In our democratic country, citizens are given equal
rights to vote for their favoured leader whom they believe could lead the
country to greater heights. Singapore also practices freedom of speech by
granting citizens the right and providing the optimum medium to voice their
opinions, such as the speaker's corner. Moreover, Hwa Chong also emphasises on
freedom of speech through optimum platforms such as the principal’s dialogues
in the various level assemblies, which encourages all students to provide their
insights on an issue. Hence, living in such a liberal environment which
encourages free speech, this has shaped my belief of handling matters at massed
events where I trust that everyone has a right to voice their personal views. For example, as part of the Executive Committee in my CCA, I believe that the ExCo leading the CCA has to give every member a chance to voice out their views on how the club is run. In my CCA, every member gets to fill in a form every 6 months in which they can pen down their thoughts on the CCA. Though this is not exactly providing freedom of speech literally, it still provides the platform for members voices to be heard.
To sum it up, both
Chinese and American perceptions of self have influenced my different beliefs.
My contention is that we should select the pros of both perceptions while not
being extremely inclined to both types of perception in order
to achieve a balanced perception.
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