> You could combat this by grading on a curve or by making exams harder, but this risks driving students into deleterious zero-sum behaviors - see Asian "cram schools" or American "tiger parenting".
So people studying more is deleterious behavior? There's definitely a point at which is not a healthy childhood, but by many objective metrics (educational attainment, salary, etc) "Tiger Parenting" is a beneficial strategy.
Yes but not when judging by life fulfillment or happiness. All tiger parenting does is instill a sense that the child is never good enough, or that they must work like crazy to be valuable at all to society, both of which are extremely harmful on the longterm.
So people studying more is deleterious behavior? There's definitely a point at which is not a healthy childhood, but by many objective metrics (educational attainment, salary, etc) "Tiger Parenting" is a beneficial strategy.