In modern China, the virtues of success and ability have overtaken the ideals of love and acceptance. Being a society shaped mainly by a revolution, many have been made to believe that revolutions have ended and that the society has reached the apex of opportunity. In particular, this static train of thought has prevented many people from benefiting from their failures. This mindset has become a silent epidemic in dire need of a revolutionary vaccine.
Mao Zedong, widely considered the “father” of modern China, famously stated that “we think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well.” He added that this frog thinks that the world is only as big as the top of the well but that, as it surfaces, it sees an entirely different view. Like this frog, many Chinese students lack clear awareness of the world around them. The only difference is that the frog’s ignorance is innate, whereas that of Chinese students is not inherited but instilled in them by their educators.

Unlike the frog, Chinese students have the ability to accept their shortcomings, but as in the case of an unwanted parasite, this ability is relegated to a dark corner by their educators. In an education system where standardized test scores determine the student’s future, the capacity to show some vulnerability has become not only undervalued but also undesirable. Students are taught that spending countless hours studying for exams and competing against one another will bring them many opportunities. However, taking this path has substantial costs. Educators do not emphasize that one should accept one’s failurebecause they themselves are ignorant of their own shortcomings and believe that paying full attention to success while ignoring failure is the only means of achievement. They fail to recognize that it is the acceptance of failure that has brought about some of China’s biggest accomplishments.

Although their familial bonds can help Chinese students pursue rewarding academic and professional careers, a larger bond with society through the tolerance of failure is expected to bring greater benefits for all. Chinese students are taught the verses of some of the world’s greatest visionaries, and these thoughts become engraved in their brains like ancient hieroglyphs in caves. However, these views alone are not enough to guide out of their wells. What they need and long for is a deeper human connection with their surroundings. After an undesirable outcome, simple words of encouragement such as “that’s okay, you’ll do better next time” may be all they hope for from their educators. Instead, they receive scornful looks of disappointment accompanied by a long critique of their shortcomings.

Although there are many avenues available to Chinese students for achieving success, not everything is what it appears to be. There is more for them to discover, and many are likely to escape the short-sighted view of their educators by taking a path toward fruitful thinking. These students can eventually use their experiences to become the vaccine their society needs and bring about a completely different view for China. Hopefully, this new view would be something reflecting more love and tolerance for shortcomings of one another.

Wang Suilin