This image went viral on social media, with many commenting that the family "isn't looking for a wife, but a second mother for their son."
An only child in a family of civil servants, Phan Kiet has been excessively sheltered his entire life. Neighbors recall his mother chasing him with a bowl of rice, spoon-feeding him until the end of elementary school. His father, a teacher, adopted a "no criticism" education policy, always offering encouragement instead of reprimands.
 |
Phan Kiet and his mother when he was in elementary school in Hunan Province, China. Photo: 163.com |
Phan Kiet and his mother when he was in elementary school in Hunan Province, China. Photo: 163.com
This overprotection left Kiet without basic life skills. In middle school, he frequently skipped classes, immersing himself in internet cafes, unable to adapt to dormitory life. He needed two attempts to pass his college entrance exams and once cried from hunger because he didn't know how to buy food.
After graduating, he declared, "My parents' pension is my gaming fund."
His dependency reached its peak during blind dates, where he demanded that his future wife work to support the entire family, not interfere with his gaming, and serve as a "punching bag" for him to vent his anger during arguments.
A matchmaker with 20 years of experience exclaimed, "I've never seen anyone so shamelessly parasitic yet so entitled!"
 |
Phan Kiet's parents are both over 60 years old but are helpless in teaching their son. Photo: 163.com |
Phan Kiet's parents are both over 60 years old but are helpless in teaching their son. Photo: 163.com
Family tragedy struck when Kiet pushed his mother, breaking her arm, after she unplugged his computer. When she pleaded with him to take her to the hospital, he coldly locked his door and continued playing. This wasn't the first time he'd assaulted his parents for reprimanding him.
"I'm a teacher, yet I can't teach my own son," said Mr. Phan, Kiet's father. Now in his 60s and suffering from various health issues, he has never received a word of concern from his son.
Kiet has also stated about his parents, "I only need to care for myself; other people's lives are none of my business."
Doctors diagnosed the 37-year-old with "paranoid personality disorder". They analyzed that the gaming addiction was only a symptom, the root cause being a lack of boundaries in his upbringing, leading to a narcissistic worldview.
However, Kiet blamed his parents' pampering and control, claiming he turned to gaming to assert himself.
"We thought loving him meant giving him everything, but we turned our love into a knife that stabbed us," said Kiet's mother.
 |
Phan Kiet, 37, from Hunan Province, is still dependent on his parents and has not found a wife after 59 failed blind dates. Photo: 163.com |
Phan Kiet, 37, from Hunan Province, is still dependent on his parents and has not found a wife after 59 failed blind dates. Photo: 163.com
Psychologists refer to individuals like Phan Kiet as "giant babies" – adults physically but emotionally stuck in infancy.
According to psychologist Vu Chi Hong, "giant babies" exhibit two main traits: enmeshed psychology (unable to differentiate between themselves and others) and narcissistic omnipotence (believing they are the center of the universe and all their demands must be met).
Educator Makarenko once said: "Giving your children everything, sacrificing everything for them, including your own happiness: that is the most terrible gift a parent can give their child."
Minh Phuong (Sohu, 163.com)
