In my culture, it is considered improper for adult children to criticize parents for stern discipline when the child was young. Would you call this a form of rigid psychological repression or suppression on the part of the adult children, in which case this norm of not criticizing is unhealthy?
You seem to be referring to the theme of “filial piety, ” a norm in some cultures. Filial piety urges the children, even as adults, to respect the parents. In my experience talking with university students who grew up with filial piety, some of them come to realize that stern discipline by the parents was necessary because of the misbehavior of the university student as a child. Yet, when this is not the case, and parents were overly harsh, I think it is fine to balance both forgiveness and filial piety. In other words, you can come to a rational conclusion that the parents were overly harsh, forgive for this, and remain respectful toward the parents now. In other words, forgiveness and filial piety can grow up together. The adult child acknowledges harsh treatment by the parent and so forgives, and at the same time, remains respectful to the parents because they are the parents.
