Do parents really have the unquestioned power to distribute inheritance unfairly?

Recently, many articles have shared stories about inheritance distribution within families. A variety of conflicting opinions have emerged. Some support dividing assets equally among the children, regardless of gender or age. However, quite a few believe it should only go to the child who contributed the most to caring for the parents, or that parents are free to give it to whoever they want, and the children have no right to make demands.

I have noticed that many people take a one-sided view, thinking that "the property belongs to the parents, so they can give it to anyone." Some even go so far as to say parents have unquestioned authority to divide their assets unfairly and that the children must accept it. In my opinion, this mindset is somewhat selfish and reflects a misunderstanding of the concept of property ownership.

Owning property does not mean you can use or transfer it however you want without taking others into account. Your right to own property must comply with the law, ethics, and principles of fairness. For example, owning a business does not mean you can run it however you please. You must protect the rights of workers, consumers, local residents, and the environment where you operate.

In the case of inheritance, even though the law does not mandate equal distribution, unfair division is irresponsible. It results in unfair treatment of those who receive less and makes those who receive more complacent and less motivated. It also sows discord and resentment among siblings and family members.

Worse still, distributing property based on outdated biases such as favoring sons over daughters only reinforces regressive thinking in society. Those who support the idea that "parents have the right to divide their property unfairly" seem to be thinking only of their own interests and feelings, without considering others or the consequences of their emotional decisions.

In short, owning property does not mean you can give it to whoever you like or divide it however you please. Everything should be done with reason, compassion, and fairness. Inheritance distribution is no exception. In my family, we have always followed the principle of fairness when dividing inherited assets. There has never been a case where only one child received everything while the others got nothing. What are your thoughts on this?

*The opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.