[WertyNtont]

Social science research has revealed that people from Asian cultures are rarely satisfied with the status quo and are always looking to improve. In the U.S. we have a saying, "Close enough for government work." What it means is that we are more willing to accept something as "good enough," without having to strive for greater perfection. This paradigm has harmed us in terms of our business competitiveness. While the Japanese and other Asian nations were producing products of better and better quality, we were still under the impression that what we were doing was good enough. Also, on average, Asian-American children perform better academically than children from other ethnic backgrounds.

I think a certain amount of pressure to do your best is a good thing, as long as love and approval are expressed too. When success is made a condition of love, problems develop. Many psychological problems are the result of trying too hard to live up to the expectations of others, instead of being true to one's self.