Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt.
Different cultures all share pride in their unique social customs.
If I were to choose one custom from my country which foreigners would
adopt, I would definitely choose filial piety.
Firstly, I’ll talk about what filial piety is all about.
Raised in a civilization that focuses primarily on ranks and social stratum,
I agree with the idea that children should respect their parents, for better or worse.
Since parents give life to us, to some extent, we owe our lives to them.
Therefore, it’s important that children do not disobey
their parents, which will cause sadness in them.
Instead, we as children should try best to make their
lives more comfortable, both physically and mentally.
In my mind’s eye, filial piety is an important custom to learn.
Because with the accentuation on personal freedom and rights,
some youths forget the origins of their lives and even
make unreasonable requirements from their parents.
Filial piety reminds us that we can pay respect to our parents without
sacrificing our freedom. For example, when I have different opinions with them,
it’s reasonable to listen to their advice but form my own conclusion, which hopefully
will not disturb them too much. This is true “filial piety” in our culture.
Another aspect of filial piety is to be economically responsible for your
parents’ lives after their retirement. In some sense, this is the materialization
of respect for parents. Filial piety provides a fair chance for children to
pay back their parents, at least physically.
I’m also in favor of this concept, since parents have been raising us for the
past decades or so. It’s essential for a person’s growth that he learns the
responsibility to raise someone else, which prepares him better to form a
family. This also showcases that the children are already economically
independent and parents can rely on them for the rest of their lives,
which is greatly emphasized in traditional Chinese culture.
To sum up, filial piety is the cultural custom I want to share with foreign
friends, because it reflects the essence of Chinese culture.