being right.

I think all Asian parents have a training manual. Ever noticed how the proverbs and euphemisms quoted to you by your parents are exactly the same ones your friends got as well? The quirky odd ones are the best, especially those borne out of frustration, like "You haven't tasted my strength yet!", or "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice!".

But one valuable lesson I learnt from my mum was when I was still an angsty rebellious teenager. I was really stubborn, and always felt that no one understood me, and that everyone was always against me. During one episode, after trying to justify myself in a million uncomprehensible ways, my mum just calmly said:

"Cannot be the whole world wrong and you're the only one right, correct?"

And it dawned on me then that, perhaps, even if it felt like the remotest possibility, there was a chance that I, Eddie Cheong, could possibly be wrong about the issue. I wasn't arrogant enough to believe my opinion could be more valuable than the general consensus of just about everybody. It was a lesson I took to this day. It's a difficult process at first, because you tend to go around looking for people who will comfort you by affirming everything you say, even if they actually disagree. But the truth is, when the whole world thinks doesn't think you're right, you probably aren't.

Sure was better advice than "not finishing all the rice on your plate will give you pimples!".


. Arigato .