The Difference in Definitions of a Good Life
The research conducted by Bonn and Romin (p. 744) indicates that there is a significant difference in how students coming from South Asia and China define a good life.
Chinese Emphasis on Practicality and Hard Work
The article, published by the Journal of Happiness Studies further outlined that the Chinese were more prudential and practical in their focus as compared to their counterparts from South Asia (Bonn and Romin 744). The authors further stated that "Chinese culture emphasizes a practical Confucian philosophy extolling the virtues of hard work and education, the importance of role-dependent obligations, and the cultivation of relationships" (Bonn and Romin 744). The assertion means that students from China embrace creating connections with their external partners by forging alliances through learning and constant innovations.
South Asian Beliefs in Transcendental Worldview
According to Bonn and Romin (p. 744), students from China believe that maintaining and improving social standing through embracing the concept of education and hard work not only indicates a successful life but also demonstrates the importance of an individual within the society. Based on the scholars' research, "South Asian culture is bound to a more transcendental worldview, derived from Hindu, Muslim, and other more ascetic traditions" (Bonn and Romin 744). In other words, students of South Asian heritage believe in the nature of their deity and the power of the material universe as opposed to the universal laws in their environment. Bonn and Romin (p. 744) conclude by claiming that students of South Asian origin emphasize on the value of good work, virtue, selfless service, purity, as well as balancing the sacred and the worldly concerns.
Work Cited
Bonn, Gregory, and Romin Tafarodi. “Chinese and South Asian Conceptions of the Good Life and Personal Narratives.” Journal of Happiness Studies, vol. 15, no. 4, Aug. 2014, pp. 741-755.
