The love of money is...

Sorry, this is the continued post about my students' desire to be rich.

So whatdya think? Would you rather be rich or happy? What do you think the students said? Well, almost 100% said they'd rather be rich and some were quite adamant about it. As much as I argued the opposing side, the students said their goal was to be rich, and then they'd have enough money to buy whatever they wanted so they'd be happy, of course. Can you imagine?! It made me think about how much cultural information we are given that influences our views on rich = happy.

I feel like I was raised to believe that the point was to have a life that mattered, to make a difference in the world, build strong relationships, be content. Money was only a means to an end. Part of me wants to keep trying to convince my students of this, although it feels like I'm forcing my cultural viewpoint onto a different paradigm. Taiwan, at least what I've seen of it in this private middle school, is all about being rich. You work excessively hard in school to get into the right high school. Same for high school to college. Then you try to get a high-paying job and the ladder goes on and on until you die.

I find that mindset so demotivating and depressing. I feel like asking the kids how they have the will to live, when their lives seem to be on such a straight track to nowhere. But to them it's a straight track to a life where you can buy whatever you want. Anyway, it's something I've been thinking about. Anyone have an opinion? Is the love of money cultural? Or is it just that I grew up in a family and a community that is an anomaly? Are the Canadian and Taiwanese educational mindsets equally valid? Is it alright for me as a teacher in Taiwan to try to encourage my students to follow the Canadian mindset of 'school shouldn't matter so much, go out and play for a minute'? Hmmm.