Claim. A person who says “I am a filial child” disqualifies themselves; the real filial child gives, forgets that they have given, and never claims the title.
Elaboration. SMM rules out self-announcement: “Someone who says, ‘I am a filial child. I am doing this and that to become a filial child’ is a fake filial child. People who live for others and forget that they have done so will take their places among the ranks of filial children” (CSG 14.3 §3, 204-94, 1990.7.1). “The person who complains, saying, ‘I am a filial child. I am a patriot. Why do you not recognize me?’ is the person who is retreating” (35-341, 1970.11.1). The diagnostic for true filial piety is that the person measures themselves against an ever-receding standard: “Heaven’s filial child and Heaven’s patriot is the person who realizes, as time goes on, how much more of his filial duty remains to be fulfilled.” Self-attribution is treated as the surest signal that the practice has stopped.