Dear Paradoxy,

My parents are ASIAN. It is commonly known how Asian parents are. Always comparing the kids to other kids. Always getting disappointed when their child doesn’t bring home an A+. Always planning to make their child become a doctor or a software engineer or a lawyer etc even before they are even born. Hammering in the foundations of mathematics into their head when they are a mere child to ensure that they do well in school. That is not greed. That is like a traditional thing and almost every Asian family does this same thing. That is why it is known as the Asian stereotype, which most people are aware of. This is NORMAL for us. So obviously they won’t prioritize mental health because they are oblivious to the impact of mental health.

I understand that about Asian parents. But you said you wanted to be an engineer (computer engineer, if I understood well). That should be acceptable enough for Asian parents. But they still wanted you to study medicine. That’s what I was reacting to. Because you can earn a decent salary with computer engineering as well.

But that wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted you to study medicine, even though medicine requires enormous dedication, and if someone isn’t really into it, it can make their life miserable. Actually I think it’s counter-productive.

But still, they forced you to study medicine. That’s why I believe it’s a significantly greater pressure and expectation than what typical Asian parents expect from their child.