Chinese culture is one of the most ancient and influential cultures in the world. It is known for its emphasis on family, honoring elders and maintaining harmony. While most of these characteristics are positive, there are some that could be restrictive, limiting and hold you back.
Here are six reasons why Chinese culture may be the source of your limiting beliefs:
1. You have to fulfill an endless list of obligated duties, such as filial piety or respect to elders.
In Chinese culture, family comes first. You have to fulfill an endless list of obligated duties, such as filial piety or respect to elders, so that they can feel accomplished. Fulfilling these duties may be important when children grow up but putting family before yourself as an adult can stunt your growth and self-development, making you feel like a little kid who still needs their parent's constant attention and validation.
2. You're limited by strict protocols about how you speak to those older than yourself
A big part of the Chinese culture is that you have to respect your elders. In other words, you will have to show them respect by calling them "sir" or "ma'am" or any other term that is used to show respect. This is one of the reasons why a lot of people from China are able to adapt easily in the Western societies. It's also one of the reasons why this is one of the main reasons for some people's limiting beliefs.
Asking questions as a child about anything that your parents did was considered disrespectful. Talking back to them or showing disrespect towards them was seen as something that would not only make you suffer in life, but it could potentially bring shame upon your family.
This is a very important thing when it comes to communication with others. If you're someone who likes to ask a lot of questions, you would want to tone down on this because there might be people who would see it as disrespectful and offensive.
3. You're limited by the need to maintain harmony at all times in order to avoid conflict, even if this means not standing up for yourself
The Chinese culture is a society that values humility, family and maintaining harmony at all times. You are expected to put others before yourself and keep conflict to a minimum in order to maintain peace. This is why sometimes you may find that you are inhibited or afraid to speak out for yourself.
The main challenge within the Chinese culture is that people can place a far greater emphasis on avoiding conflict than they do standing up for what they believe in. If something bothers you but you are afraid of speaking up, you are limiting yourself and this will hold you back in your career and life on many levels.
4. You might feel like you have no control over your own life, which creates a feeling of powerlessness
Being powerless is one of the main reasons why people don't achieve what they want in life.
You might feel like you have no control over your own life, which creates a feeling of powerlessness. People can't get what they want because they think that they have no choice. They feel like they have no power to change their lives.
This is especially true for Chinese culture, who value living according to the rules and being told what to do. We definitely don't have a problem with being obedient, but this obedience can cause us to follow orders even when it's not in their our interest. We'd rather do as we're told than make our own choices because we're afraid of failing or being judged by others.
5. You're expected to follow a carefully laid out plan for your life with little opportunity for deviation or spontaneous choices.
Growing up in a culture where everyone is expected to follow a carefully laid out plan for their lives can have some unintended side effects.
If your family, friends, and culture at large expect you to follow the same path as others before you have completed college, you will feel like you are not following your true calling if you choose to leave that path.
You may also be afraid of making choices that are different from those of others in your community. This could have contributed to your decision to not pursue a business venture that is different from that of others in your culture.
6. You might feel like there's always someone above you who has control over your life, leaving you feeling trapped or oppressed.
When you were a teenager, your parents were in control. When you were a young adult, it was your boss. And now that you're an adult, it's your spouse or partner.
Facing this type of control can make you feel like there is always someone above you who has control over your life, leaving you feeling trapped or oppressed. This can lead to feelings of guilt, anger, helplessness and hopelessness.
If this sounds like the story of your life, then the problem may lie in how Chinese culture influenced you early on in childhood.
If we want to move forward, we must first understand the history of how we got here. When it comes to your limiting beliefs, there's no such thing as a short cut. You must begin the process of healing by looking back into your childhood and seeing if you can identify when these limiting beliefs were instilled in you. Keep in mind that many of them have been passed down from one generation to the next, so this might not be easy for you. But if you're willing to invest some time and energy into understanding yourself better, the rewards will be worth the effort.