One thing that feels different between the US and East Asia:
In a lot of East Asian systems, your trajectory gets determined very early.
People who perform well academically early tend to stay ahead in very linear ways.
In the US, the variance feels much wider.
You see people peak later, reinvent themselves, switch paths entirely, start companies, become creators, unexpectedly win.
Maybe that’s part of the American Dream mindset:
the belief that your future doesn’t have to be fully decided at 15.