To be honest, I know that a lot of Asian parents are secretly shocked and horrified by many aspects of Western parenting.

My dogs can't do anything--and what a relief. I don't make any demands of them, and I don't try to shape them or their future. For the most part, I trust them to make the right choices for themselves. I always look forward to seeing them, and I love just watching them sleep. What a great relationship.

I do play tennis, but I don't really like competition. I'm supposed to be so intense, but I hate competition.

I sort of feel like people are not that honest about their own parenting. Take any teenage household; tell me there is not yelling and conflict.

Parenting cannot just be one size fits all.

There are all kinds of psychological disorders in the West that don't exist in Asia.

Once you get to the Enlightenment, the way that powers get to be hyperpowers isn't just by conquest. It's through commerce and innovation. Societies like the Dutch Republic and the United States used tolerance to become a magnet for enterprising immigrants.