Letters | Is Hong Kong’s culture of comparison weighing down on students?
Readers discuss the unhealthy mindset passed down from adults to children, how to improve mental health outcomes in schools, and the harmful effects of incarceration
Whenever news of a student suicide breaks, there is a lot of online and social conjecture. Experts typically respond with platitudes about complex, varied reasons, perhaps to avoid laying blame too easily. However, something in me cries out that this is unhelpful. Until a reason is identified, the problem – or should I say malaise – might simply persist.
In Hong Kong, it’s common to be curious about our interlocutor’s profession. “What do you do for a living?” is a seemingly innocuous question, and yet we often go on to compare ourselves with our interlocutor. If we compare favourably, have more prestigious careers or earn more, we feel superior. If we compare unfavourably, we feel inferior and bitter.
Comparison is rife in our city. One moment you’re on the crest of pride, the next you’re drowning in inadequacy. This erodes one’s self-worth. If adults themselves are caught in this relentless current of comparison, wouldn’t it be easy for them to pass down the same mindset to their children, putting their emotional well-being in jeopardy?
Outside schools, there are banners flaunting students’ public exam triumphs. Rarely does one see schools displaying testimonials from students saying they have discovered their purpose, talent and their path because of the education they received there.