my weakness is that I work *too* hard

I get asked to edit a lot of applications for grants, scholarships, etc, and one thing puzzles me. In the personal statement, Chinese always write something like "I am hard-working, personable, independent, responsible, and confident."   If there was more variety, it might at least tell you something about the person's self-image, but as it is they basically pick from a list of about eight standard virtues.

It's standard in Chinese applications, too.  It's supposed to be listing your "personal qualities" but it's become effectively depersonalized, presumably because people don't want to risk actually sounding too much like a person. So it's a phatic statement - all it says is "I know how applications should be written." Plenty of information on Western CVs acts the same way, just at greater length. 

But I feel that this offers a welcome opportunity to reinstitute traditional culture, where self-deprecation was valued. How much more entertaining applications would be if they opened with "I am lazy, inattentive, and unfilial, but the good fortune of my family and teachers has enabled me to pursue a PhD despite my many failings." 

Comments

[BenSix]

They think that independence is a virtue?

[jamie]

As in 'can work independently', I presume. Not that general independence of mind is considered that much of an asset for application form purposes elsewhere.