I was disappointed when I learned the meaning of my Chinese name. My grandfather, a literature professor, crafted it from a Confucian proverb which translates into, “Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards”. My mom always spoke of it with pride, as if my Chinese name were some kind of poetic masterpiece.You would think that a name meticulously culled from the annals of ancient wisdom would involve something more profound than conventionality, but alas, it does not. I...

I was disappointed when I learned the meaning of my Chinese name. My grandfather, a literature professor, crafted it from a Confucian proverb which translates into, “Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards”. My mom always spoke of it with pride, as if my Chinese name were some kind of poetic masterpiece.You would think that a name meticulously culled from the annals of ancient wisdom would involve something more profound than conventionality, but alas, it does not. I...