Every effort is made by parents to ensure that their children have the best possible
start in life. It has long been established that formula milk cannot be the
substitute for breast milk in terms of nutrients for the formation of brain cells and the overall health of a new
born baby.However these days there are advanced milk formulae that purportedly
help babies to have a head start in their growth : intellectual, emotional and
motor skills. Will these babies grow up to be super competent academically and
in sports and be able to empathize with what and how another feel with improved
brain power after drinking these amazing milk proteins and added nutrients?
Where do these super kids go in the future? Perhaps these smart kids will grow
up to be super intelligent beings who will invent humanoids that only they can
interact with. Nonetheless braininess does not necessarily guarantee a
successful life as highly successful people are known to be not only smart,
they are disciplined, relentlessly hard working and constantly striving to do better.
In her memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy
Chua had captured the essence of
how she had been making her daughters do piano and violin practice and
constantly holding them to high standards and her child rearing ways were the
reverse to the American way of
nurturing your child’s self esteem. She
appears to be a classic example of someone who has been bestowed on by her
parents a Triple Package of qualities that she has described in the new book
that she has co-authored with her Jewish husband Jed Rubenfeld. The new book
examines the different ethnic and cultural groups in America and why some groups do better than others.
According to The Triple Package
written by Amy Chua
and Jed Rubenfeld,
‘In many Chinese, Korean,
and South Asian immigrant families, parents impose exorbitantly high academic
expectations on their children (“Why only a 99?”). Implicit in these
expectations are both a deep assumption of superiority ( we know you can do
better than everyone else) and a needling suggestion of present inadequacy (but
you haven’t done remotely well enough yet). Comparisons to cousin X, who just
graduated as valeditorian, or so-and –so ‘s daughter, who just got into
Harvard, are common –and this itrue in both lower-and higher-income families.’
The said authors
opine that insecurity, a superiority complex and impulse control are the
three components that drive certain ethnic group of people to succeed and rise.
‘Superiority plus insecurity
is a formula for drive. Superiority plus impulse control is a formula for
hardship endurance. When the Triple Package brings all three elements together
in a group’s culture, members of the group become disproportionately willing
and able to do or accept whatever it takes today in order to make it tomorrow.’
They also go on to explain that
this success comes at a price, for instance, deeply insecure people are often
neurotic and impulse denial can undercut the ability to experience beauty,
tranquility, and spontaneous joy and
Triple Package cultures tend to focus on material, conventional,
prestige-oriented success.
‘Impulse
control is like stamina. If you ran five miles every few days for several
months, you’d build up stamina, which would allow you not only to run farther,
but to perform all sorts of unrelated physical tasks better than you could
before. As numerous studies have now proved, it’s the same with impulse
control. If people are made to do almost any impulse-controlling task-even as
simple as getting themselves to sit up straight – on a regular basis for even a
few weeks, their overall willpower increases. Suddenly they’re stronger in all
kinds of unrelated activities that also require concentration, perseverance, or
temptation resistance.’
Prague 2009 |
The book also talks about how
drive, grit and inspiration are
definitely the qualities one needs when one wants to follow one’s passion.
‘Gates
and Zuckerberg-not to mention Steve Jobs –were among the hardest-working, most
driven people their peers knew. Obviously creativity also requires the freedom
to question and challenge authoriry (which is why China has so far trailed as
in inventiveness), the space to wonder and free- associate. But the fact
remains that you can’t invent Google, Facebook, or the iPod unless you’ve
mastered the basics, are willing to put in long hours, and can pick yourself
off the floor when life knocks you down the first ten times.’
In conclusion, while we want to
tell ourselves that it is hard to succeed unless you love what you do, the real
prescription for ground breaking innovation and entrepreneurialism is still the
Triple Package ladder. The Triple Package may not promise a meaningful life, it
is a form of empowerment, which can be used for selfish gain or for others’
good alike. According to the book, heightened discipline and impulse control plus insecurity and a
superiority complex are the
ingredients that will lead one to achieve
material success. However I believe that everything has its price, ultimately the question remains :
Should people strive for the Triple Package and still be able to avoid the
unhealthy side of narcissism and other pathologies that come with each of
the elements of the Triple
Package?
Dragon Boat Race |
This is a book I've kicked around reading-- still on my to-read list. thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie Thank you for your comment. It is interesting to read about how certain components are necessary for one to succeed in the conventional sense. But ultimately a balance must be struck between material achievements and spiritual growth.
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