| A LinkedIn fellow group member posed an interesting | | | | within the same generation) payoff is woven |
| question recently: Are some cultures more gifted than | | | | throughout the fabric of their history and society. Let's |
| others? | | | | call it vision, patience and perseverance. And |
| What prompted her musings was a national | | | | descendants don't soon forget that legacy. When |
| educational achievement awards event, where many | | | | people in that type of society get on the same page |
| of the top recipients were of Asian descent. | | | | the results are magnified as well. |
| Any critical thinker who is reasonably well-informed | | | | Now, we may call it "smarter" for Asian American |
| and who actually believes that any human culture or | | | | parents to (generally) spend much more time with their |
| race is inherently/genetically pre-determined to be | | | | kids on schoolwork and education-related issues than |
| more or less intelligent than others must have | | | | other cultures, but it's not truly a grey matter issue of |
| underlying reasons for wanting such to be true. | | | | better brain genes. It's a learned, pragmatic approach, |
| Over long time frames (tens, hundreds, thousands of | | | | proven to be successful over the long run. |
| years), groups simply put emphasis on different areas | | | | That all being said; we humans, like all the other critters, |
| of life, at different times, and to varying degrees; | | | | have and will continue to evolve through timing (think |
| depending on their surroundings and states of being. | | | | the American Revolution), natural selection and |
| Primarily, it's a matter of history and necessity. Look at | | | | "training", for lack of a better word. If an entire culture is |
| the legendary early American work ethic, or the way | | | | (generally) eating the same foods, learning the same |
| overall production rose when the US faced two World | | | | materials, raising their kids in similar fashion, etc., over |
| Wars - Americans did not have a choice at the time | | | | generations certain traits will of course become more |
| and achieved at nearly full potential. But over the past | | | | prevalent. Specialization has its pluses. But the |
| several decades, the continually-rising standard of living | | | | American education and child-rearing model has been |
| naturally led to a (relative) sense of complacency. The | | | | toward a rounded, abstract-thinking, risk-taking |
| short history of the US means we do not have that | | | | approach. |
| common, long term experience of delayed gratification. | | | | Examples such as the 6 year old child who becomes |
| All Americans, at some level, must realize the obvious | | | | a virtuoso musician or another who is academically 12 |
| truth that an early, increased focus on education will | | | | years ahead of his peers pose a somewhat different |
| surely lead to kids, then adults, who are "better" or | | | | question. I believe there are always going to be rare |
| "smarter" in those key areas of study. The difference | | | | examples of that type of occurrence - kind of like (but |
| is: generally Americans more than one generation | | | | maybe less understood) when there are recessive |
| removed from being immigrants themselves are | | | | genes that pop up now and then. |
| already used to "the good life." Thus, the sense of | | | | In a nutshell, it is a combination of timing, nature and |
| urgency necessary to make the personal sacrifices to | | | | nurture, with the emphasis on nurture for the |
| spend hours every evening making sure your kids are | | | | Asian American whiz student example. For a |
| studying is just not there. The Bachelor and American | | | | scientific perspective: Jared Diamond's fantastic book |
| Idol are often more engaging. | | | | Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human |
| On the other hand, many cultures in Asia have been | | | | Societies is a fascinating read (it should be required |
| living in stable, relatively homogenous communities - but | | | | reading for every high school senior) and leaves little |
| with a much lower standard of living - for hundreds | | | | doubt as to the innate adaptability and intelligence of all |
| and thousands of years. The legacy of long term | | | | humans and cultures. |
| investment resulting in an eventual (maybe not even | | | | |