Chinese parents often equate obedience to "being good" in their children. This innocent-sounding statement could have played a big part in destroying creativity in Chinese communities.
常常聽見中國父母說：“佢好乖，好聽話”，這句說話聽似無礙，其實可能打擊了一代又一代中國人的創造力！
"佢好乖，好聽話"
This is a commonly used statement by the Chinese to describe children who are considered good.
Literally it means "he (she) is very good, very obedient".
I have yet to encounter a Chinese family that would challenge the sense of this statement.
I'm sure some would question it when they have looked into it more carefully.
On the other hand, I have yet to encounter an English parent who describes his/her son/daughter as "good, because he/she is very obedient". Being obedient has never been considered a necessary nor sufficient condition of "being good". In fact, it is probably not even considered a desirable character in children -- unlike "honesty" or "being cheerful".
Chinese students have been encouraged to be obedient over generations. Being obedient doesn't necessarily suppress creativity, but it could. Generations of Chinese children attempt to guess what their parents want them to do. In order to be "good", many attempt to do what they think their parents want them to do. Others would do things half-heartedly, and seek their parents' approval before fully committing themselves. Being creative could be risky, if obedience is high in priority.
In the West, young children are encouraged to be creative. When they play, they play. In Chinese communities, children are more reserved. They often watch their parents to seek approval.
One can understand why parents want their children to be obedient.
One can also understand why those in power want their people to be obedient, as this makes the community easier to control.
They may not realise that the price to pay for obedience is creativity.
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