Understanding Common Sense

I am assuming that every parent wants the best for their child, and although I don't have kids, I believe it is fair to say that some of the things that they are wishing for, is a decent income, a house and a bit of a leadership role. We all know, that if we are bright we will get the better job, and if we are the leaders we don't get bossed around, well that at least is what we are hoping for...

However, there are as many parenting styles as there are parents, and as individual all those may appear, they all arise out of the cultural background the parents live in, and were raised themselves. I found four articles which I would like to present to you. You may have come across them already as I posted some of them here, on Twitter, or Facebook already: But they never got posted together.

They are not an easy read. They are long and contain a lot of information and deriving thoughts, giving a deep insight into the author's inner self. I could wrap it all up and write my own essay about it, and I may do that at one point. But for now, I would like to let you find your own point of view and come to your own conclusions.

One thing, though:

My aim in posting those is to help bridge the gaps between cultures,
culture in geographies,
and culture in class.

For me life is not about being right or wrong, it is about common sense; common sense however is cultural. It is about understanding that the way a child is raised will stay with it all it's life. People evolve, and may stray from the values they have learned as a child; but catch them off guard in a weak moment and the genuine response will still contain traces of that upbringing.

It is about understanding that each of those education styles have their benefits, as they have to be seen in context of the cultural background they are used in. Things only become difficult when people move from one culture into another. For those individuals all of a sudden the old values are not true anymore. And given that we live in a more and more multicultural world, in which people move countries and in which poor people have the opportunity to achieve substantial careers, I find it utterly important to understand these different cultures.

If I would understand which upbringing my boss had, I might be able to understand his way of using voice and body language, and I may be able to interpret feedback differently, and hence take a greater benefit from it. If I would understand my colleagues upbringing, I might be able to understand why one is coping with a situation while another doesn't, and I may be able to help.

Understanding is the way forward!

Amy Chua: Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

William Deresiewicz: The Disadvantage of an Elite Education 

William Deresiewicz: Solitude and Leadership

Randy Pausch: Last Lecture: Achieving your childhood dreams