There's a type of parents who want the kids to "go far" in terms of achievement that I find very curious.

Whenever I ask about it, there's a series of logical implications: getting ahead young prepares for getting ahead later, which gets you in position for better college, which leads to better job, job leads to more money, etc. It to me is a curious chain because it doesn't terminate; each step is higher up a ladder that leads nowhere in particular at the top.