Parents Who Need to Simmer Down

If you've ever been submerged in Asian culture, you will know that Asian parents tell their kids to aspire to become one of three occupations. I have simplified it down into a nice diagram below:

My parents are no exception. Since I was 5-years-old, I endured the typical brainwashing every Asian child typically undergoes.
"Henry, in order to become truly successful, you must become a doctor! Make the big money, get a big house! Bring all your relatives over from Taiwan, and we can all live in your big house! Make your momma proud!"
I really had no idea what my mother was rambling about at that time; I was 5-years-old. As I grew older however, I began to understand.
I was 9-years-old when I visited my homeland Taiwan during the summer. (By then, there was already an established Success = Doctor mentality in my head.) That year was coincidentally the year Taiwan was hosting the World Games. As my family toured the sporting events, we stopped by the main stadium. And golly, was it beautiful.

From that moment forward, something sparked inside my head. I wanted to design grand, phenomenal works like the World Games stadium when I grew up. I wanted to be an architect.

On the plane ride home from our trip, I asked my mother: would it necessarily be bad if I became an architect when I grew older? Could I not still be successful? Her answer was simple: doctors make more money than architects do. To her, it seemed that one's level of success was determined solely by wealth. Being the naive child I was back then, I simply nodded my head and accepted her words as veritas.

***

My situation when I was young isn't much different than the relationship between Macbeth and his wife. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth is consistently steering Macbeth off the moral path and persuading him to commit actions he is doubtful of. This influence is extremely evident when Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth to murder King Duncan, and also when Lady Macbeth continues to act as Macbeth's cognitive advisory after the whole murdering ordeal. The decisions Macbeth makes are always related to Lady Macbeth's motives. Part of Macbeth's ambition to become king is fueled by Lady Macbeth's desire to bear sons and let the Macbeth bloodline take over the throne of Scotland.

Similarly, my future-career dilemma was greatly influenced by my mother. At that time when I was little, I did not truly want to be a doctor; it was only my mother behind the scenes who was advocating the occupation choice on behalf me. I was not able to voice own opinion and have some self-control over my future.
From both stories, the lesson becomes apparent: an adviser with his/her own agenda is capable of veering your ambitions into satisfying the interests of him/herself. It is important therefore, after considering the advice of others, to have a clear definitive voice in what you ultimately choose to do. Otherwise, your misled ambition may lead you astray from your genuine goals.



*Note: After taking Design Tech in Grade 10, I now have a putrid despisal for architecture.