Confucianism Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucianism Reflection - Essay Example If we were to look back into the history of China as a people, what becomes evident is that they have a deeply rooted respect for their elders and ancestors that continue to this very day. It is this sense of respect that has created a strong family bond among the Chinese. The aforementioned Confucianist belief conveys the message that respect for parents is not only something that should be done in the presence of others, but it is something that must be embodied in order to be an effective tenet of the human relationship or relationships between senior and junior members of the family. The idea behind the passage that I chose to reflect upon is simple. My understanding is that children are being trained to know, from an early age, that if one shows respect to his elders, then he will not need to demand that his elders respect him as well. The true respect and family relationship is built when the young generation shows support for his elders, without feeling obligated to do so. It then becomes important for children to understand that showing respect for their elders, and not showing them a bad face is the kind of payback that is expected or accorded to people who have nurtured them since conception and helped them become contributing members of society. Parents, are known to do everything that they can for their children up until the time when their age no longer permits them to do so. Once they become feeble and weak, it then becomes the responsibility of their children to sacrifice for and respect their parents until their last day on earth. Some children these days often show their parents a bad face once they are asked by their elders to perform certain tasks, because of the sense of privilege and self-centered attitude that modern parenting styles have bestowed upon them. Thus showing a lifelong disrespect for their parents rather than showing thanks for the sacrifice that the elders committed themselves to for the benefit of the younger