[General] be a useful person to the society

[Silverobama]

Hi,When I was young, I heard my parents, my school teachers, my senior relatives, said "you should study hard in order to be a useful person", then the sentence:

I want to be a useful person to the society. (This becomes popular in my culture.)

I wonder if the sentence is also natural in English. I think culture differs. People in the UK or in the US will not say things like this.

May I have your opinion?

 

[Tarheel]

Hi,When I was young, I heard my parents, my school teachers, my senior relatives, say "You should study hard in order to be a useful person", then the sentence:

I want to be a useful person to (no article) society. (This becomes popular in my culture.)

I wonder if the sentence is also natural in English. I think culture differs. People in the UK or in the US would not say things like this.

May I have your opinion?

That's what I get paid for is to give my opinion.
;-)

Where I'm from you would be more likely to hear:

You want to study hard and get good grades so you can make something of yourself.

 

[Tarheel]

I know what you mean by "senior relatives" but although that's not very natural, I can't think of a replacement right now.

 

[bubbha]

Perhaps "older relatives"?

 

[tedmc]

I think it is very much part of Chinese culture to conform to society's expectations and to be useful or be an asset to society, which they believe could only be achieved through education. Doing well in studies has been believed to be the way out of poverty, to achieve success and a good life. This belief is inculcated in children from an early age, as China has gone through periods of abject poverty through its history.

 

[Silverobama]

I think it is very much part of Chinese culture to conform to society's expectations and to be useful or be an asset to society, which they believe could only be achieved through education. Doing well in studies has been believed to be the way out of poverty, to achieve success and a good life. This belief is inculcated in children from an early age, as China has gone through periods of abject poverty through its history.

:up:

 

[Silverobama]

......
Where I'm from you would be more likely to hear:

You want to study hard and get good grades so you can make something of yourself.

Question 1:

Do you mean a parent will say the above to his child?

Questions 2:

I wonder if a young boy would say:

I want to study hard and get good grades so as to make something of myself.

 

[Tarheel]

Question 1:

Do you mean a parent would say the above to his child? Yes.

Questions 2:

I wonder if a young boy would say:

I want to study hard and get good grades so as to make something of myself.

He might.