When I was in college I dated a girl whose parents were from Hong Kong and whose father was by far the most overbearing human being I have ever met. His determi

When I was in college I dated a girl whose parents were from Hong Kong and whose father was by far the most overbearing human being I have ever met. His determination that every one of his four children be successful drove them into an insane flurry of work that has lasted for each of their 25 years - until they each had their masters degree in biomedical engineering, as he demanded. I, on the other hand, grew up in a family of academics and was able to express myself and make mistakes from time to time. Sometimes I wish I had been pushed harder as a kid, but I think I turned out all right. When I met the father he remarked at how well-spoken I was and lamented that none of his children communicated as well as I did - the kind of skill that cannot arise when your childhood and adolescence is confined to an intellectually rigid model. Creativity cannot be dictated.