China today is a rapidly developing country, we are capable of launching rockets to the moon and beyond. With thousands of years of history, it is undisputable that the Chinese civilisation possesses an immense accumulation of ancient wisdom. However, it also means that Confucianism is still deeply rooted in the Chinese mind, where modesty is held as one of the most honourable virtue. This unfortunately often leads people to undermine and understate their own capability and competence. For example, during an interview, when asked the question: “Can you handle the new position?”, most Chinese people will modestly say “I’m not sure but I will try my best”, meanwhile, others will answer with much more confidence: “Certainly!”. As an employer, it is understandable that they would go for a more confident candidate, even if both possess the same credentials.
We have all heard the story of “Kong Rong giving up pears”, but is there such a thing as too much modesty? There are 1.4 billion people in China, in this highly competitive market, we are put into a race since day 1 in kindergarten. Constantly improving and fighting seems to be the only way to get ahead.