Legacy: Rice Paddles And Math Tests

The chapter Rice Paddles And Math Tests sparked my interest because it gave me insight on the common belief that Asians are the smartest in math. I kind of figured this was true because Asians normally attend more school than anywhere else in world. It was mentioned that in the United states, students usually attend school 180 days out of the year while the South Korean school year is 220 days long and the Japanese school year is 243 days longs as stated by Gladwell. One thing that I did not know was that their culture was an adding factor that makes them smart in math. This book has shown me just how much culture plays a role in one's life. I know that culture shapes people but I never realized how culture could contribute to success. In the Asian culture, hard work is a factor that is emphasized and stressed. This is why farmers work so hard in terms of harvesting and growing rice. They have the mentality that the harder they work, the more profit they will gain. This mentality has proven to work for them. The more hours and dedication that they put into growing and harvesting the rice, the bigger the yield of the crop becomes. I do think that this mentality needs to be emphasized and applied in western culture. I think we often become lazy and take opportunities for granted. Americans are quick to take education for granted but if you notice, when immigrants and foreigners get to this country, they cherish education and take advantage of its opportunities which makes us Americans look bad honestly. Sometimes, we become lazy and give up on things without even dedicating ourselves to trying. Everyone falls victim to this, even myself sometimes I must admit. It's sad because this habit is almost "natural" in a sense. Gladwell mentions a study done by Alan Schoenfold where he asked a group of high school students how long they work on a homework question. On average, students confessed to looking over a problem for 2 minutes before determining that it is too hard or giving up. If people take the time to not give up so easily, I think success would ultimately be easier to obtain.