I hear the women next door

Cheering her child for finishing her tasks all alone

Great job you did it all by yourself!

I hear the kid cheering herself

Yes! I did it, and will do it again

What is the message to that kid about oneself?

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Finishing everything all by myself

That makes mama proud of her little girl

Succeeding together is a shame

I don’t want to be weak and fail in this game

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This continues even in school

We are praised for individual traits and following rules

But don’t let yourself be a fool

Our success is connected to a larger society pool

Help someone else rise with you

We are stronger together and will follow through