Chitchat Why Singaporeans dunno how to differentiate between right and wrong?

searcher1 said:

We have become a society that no longer cares about right & wrong. As long as the end result benefits the majority, it is the right way. To sacrifice the minority (even when they tell the truth) for the benefits of majority

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JohnTan said:

Singapore is a pragmatic society. That is also how we have avoided going the route of western europe - high annual budget deficits, revolving corrupt and incompetent politicians, failure of their multiculturalism experiment, widespread drug abuse.

As a pragmatic society, we have zero tolerance towards crime, corruption and budget deficits. Our pragmatic approach towards life also ensured that we have yet to be seriously affected by a recession all these decades.

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glockman said:

Yes, but somehow sinkies are still the unhappiest people in the world. We have the best govt in the world, who have made us the richest country in the world, with extremely low crime and corruption. Why ah? Are sinkies an ungrateful and daft lot?

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JohnTan said:

I don't understand why sinkies are the unhappiest people even though some poll says so. Overwhelming majority of sinkies enjoy the following: safe streets, stable society, stable economy and job market, enough money to pay for food and utilities.
A lot of sinkies' unhappiness is due to unrealistic expectations and taking things for granted.

You could try living in Venezuela or Zimbabwe, where hyper-inflation and lack of basic necessities are the norm.

Try living in central american countries like Honduras or El Savador, where drugs and gangland crime have been out of control for decades.

Try living in Mexico, where drug and violent death are so pervasive that people start worshipping a death saint.

Try living in most ASEAN countries, where average folk have to survive on around US$100 a month and below.

Try living in the United States, where the government is so gridlocked that even local police can be sued in court for checking immigration papers of suspected illegal immigrants, where gun violence is getting more common in offices and schools, health care system is in shambles and you have to pay multiple taxes and hire tax attorneys to do your taxes.

You could also move to western europe, where the streets are getting less safe due to the stupidity of European politicians in fiscal management and the type of migrants they take in. Be grateful that our government are taking in mostly chinks and Pinoys. You rather they take in more Arabs and make our streets far less safe? There would be an unofficial curfew in our streets after dark for women. Try Googling sexual assault and crime rates in western countries like Germany and Sweden.

Sinkies have it good and luckily, most sinkies have enough brains to recognize it.

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glockman said:

I agree with what you said. Every country has its own challenges. But I do not think sinkies' unhappiness is due to unrealistic expectations and taking things for granted.

The issue here is how our society has evolved. We measure everything in dollar and cents. All things like sense of self-worth, personal identity, self-respect, happiness are linked to how much money you have. But only the top few elites earn plenty of money, and the rest of sinkies feel worthless and pressured.

High cost of living, competitive education system, paternalistic govt, over population, too many FTs and the govt's emphasis on economic growth at all costs make for a very potent cocktail in inducing dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

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xpo2015 said:

Right becomes wrong. Wrong becomes right?

Have we lost it because of secular education?

We have lost our moral direction. We have become so self righteous serving our own desires and needs.

Like that how to survive in this world?

Die lah. Sure end up in hell.

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glockman said:

I agree with what you said. Every country has its own challenges. But I do not think sinkies' unhappiness is due to unrealistic expectations and taking things for granted.

The issue here is how our society has evolved. We measure everything in dollar and cents. All things like sense of self-worth, personal identity, self-respect, happiness are linked to how much money you have. But only the top few elites earn plenty of money, and the rest of sinkies feel worthless and pressured.

High cost of living, competitive education system, paternalistic govt, over population, too many FTs and the govt's emphasis on economic growth at all costs make for a very potent cocktail in inducing dissatisfaction and unhappiness.

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Dreamer1 said:

But most of those in Peoples' Association are running dogs of PAP or Lees', why join? man w/o WISDOM, WASTING TIME, ARE YOU BEING PAID, SO FUCKING HARD WORKING????????

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JohnTan said:

I would prefer a society that does not measure everything in dollars and cents ONLY. However, that doesn't mean I don't agree that in most cases, most things should be measured in dollars and cents. Otherwise, how do we quantify them?

If we paid toilet cleaners too much, then fewer people would invest in themselves to pick up more valuable vocational skills since they can get by on the bare minimum of job skills.

With regard to self-worth, most people measure their own self-worth and that of others through accomplishments - salaries, medals, highest computer game score, some sort of ranking. Money is just an easy way to gauge level of professional success across most professions. If we don't use money, then what should we use?

Ideally, I would prefer more people to achieve financial success by age 45, so that they can get out of the rat-race and enjoy a slower pace of life. Smell the roses, travel, or just work part-time. But the fact is, most people make poor decisions with regards to their education, financial and career planning, which ensures that they will be perpetually in need of money. Some others, even after they enjoy career success, continue to work long hours because they see it as a form of validation. I know of very successful hawkers who became millionaires. Yet, they continue to work 15 hours a day as though their lives depended on it.

Singapore is a modern society. It is not a society where only the top few elites earn a lot of money. I earn a lot and have a lot of money, but I can assure you that there are many people out there who earn more than me. This is not some medieval society where there is a very small or non-existent middle class. There is a large middle class and upper middle class of Singaporeans. As long as our needs are mostly met and our wealth kept intact, most of us will vote for PAP.

High competitive system is meant more for people who have poor financial planning and risk losing it all overnight if their income source gets cut off. For people like me, even if my business fails, I will still walk away a rich man because I have made sufficient plans for the rainy day. I would be less rich of course, but still rich.

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jw5 said:

But why has sinkie society become like that? Have you identified the underlying reason?

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JohnTan said:

We are volunteers, pretty much like any other volunteers with church, social movement or rights groups. It's just that we are volunteering to help with government agencies that deal with the poor and needy.

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JohnTan said:

I don't understand why sinkies are the unhappiest people even though some poll says so. Overwhelming majority of sinkies enjoy the following: safe streets, stable society, stable economy and job market, enough money to pay for food and utilities.
A lot of sinkies' unhappiness is due to unrealistic expectations and taking things for granted.

You could try living in Venezuela or Zimbabwe, where hyper-inflation and lack of basic necessities are the norm.

Try living in central american countries like Honduras or El Savador, where drugs and gangland crime have been out of control for decades.

Try living in Mexico, where drug and violent death are so pervasive that people start worshipping a death saint.

Try living in most ASEAN countries, where average folk have to survive on around US$100 a month and below.

Try living in the United States, where the government is so gridlocked that even local police can be sued in court for checking immigration papers of suspected illegal immigrants, where gun violence is getting more common in offices and schools, health care system is in shambles and you have to pay multiple taxes and hire tax attorneys to do your taxes.

You could also move to western europe, where the streets are getting less safe due to the stupidity of European politicians in fiscal management and the type of migrants they take in. Be grateful that our government are taking in mostly chinks and Pinoys. You rather they take in more Arabs and make our streets far less safe? There would be an unofficial curfew in our streets after dark for women. Try Googling sexual assault and crime rates in western countries like Germany and Sweden.

Sinkies have it good and luckily, most sinkies have enough brains to recognize it.

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frenchbriefs said:

have u ever lived in other countries or ur just assuming.....i think 90 percent of the world is pretty safe to live in,its just certain spots that are troubled.its a huge world out there.safe is overrated,too safe means ur boring and dull,thats why melbourne is the best.the average tourist in melbourne stays for a month up to the maximum of 3 months on their tourist visas......in singapore u will never catch anyone staying more than 2 days,even 7 days in this shithole is a stretch.aint shit to see or do here except the merlions and the shopping malls,and insanely hot freaking weather......lky likes to say theres no beggars or hobos in singapore,but by australia's standards 80 percent of the people in sg are hobos.....u are surrounded by hordes of hobos everyday jostling and fighting with them for space.

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JohnTan said:

I have.

90% of the world sucks by Singapore's standards. It's unsafe, undeveloped, prone to natural disasters, suffer from serious pollution problem or have out of control drug problems.

Try living in any ASEAN country surviving on ASEAN average monthly pay.

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glockman said:

Unfortunately, the reality in Spore is accomplishments are measured only in dollars and cents. It was consciously started in ernest when LKY announced that ministerial pay would be pegged to private sector top earners. It really kick started the notion that money and salary are very important factors in the sinkie society.

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