Why Singaporean So Unhappy?
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Hi everyone, I am a newbie - qing duo duo zhi jiao
Today I want to discuss something.
Singapore is a economic super-success story of Asia, right? Always top 10 here and top 20 there.
We are damn rich. Last time coffeeshop - now coffeehouse.
Then why are we so unhappy?
Last time I always thought two mysteries of Singapore:
1. We damn rich but very unhappy. In fact the rich people are lagi unhappy.
2. We success story but yet no pride. Everyone has considered migrating, even foreign talents just want to stepping stone.
Why? Why?
My explanation is related to these few points:
1. We not happy because we only compare up never compare down.
2. We not happy because we study too much, work too hard and f**k too little.
3. We not happy because the weather is hot like f**k, some more got annual haze.
4. We got no pride because our national culture cannot take off. Singapore "identity" is shirts with orchid pattern that nobody really wears. Singlish also not allowed. Can only use the damn bizarre "newscaster" accent which nobody really speaks.
5. We got not pride because we never had pride to begin with. Everyone was and still is an immigrant just passing through.
6. We got no pride because army say "too much pride ah? Knock it down twenty!". Pride instantly gone. No wonder our char bor all go for foreign talent.
How to cure? How? -
Wah, first post come and write poem liao..
Anyway, unhappiness is caused by the individual. No one can make someone unhappy unless he himself go make himself unhappy -
You really think that yourself is only reason you can be unhappy?Originally posted by nanren4ever:Wah, first post come and write poem liao..
Anyway, unhappiness is caused by the individual. No one can make someone unhappy unless he himself go make himself unhappy
If uncle clearing tray at hawker centre say he damn seem sng, you just tell him to "make himself happy" meh?
Sure have other reason.
Brazilian are not such rich but they are damn happy people. Americans on the other hand are rich f**k but they sure have a lot of resentment. -
not all unhappy de lar..also must have reason to be unhappy right???
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not happy because a lot of people choose not to be happy..
that's about the long and short of it.. -
You saying that Singaporean generally happy?Originally posted by TYING:not all unhappy de lar..also must have reason to be unhappy right???
Then why I everywhere go I see tak khor been aw aw (everyone face black-black)? -
We are darn rich?
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I also not happy...... F**king work for 9 bloody years for the company any yet kena by-pass for upgrading again......... must have not s**k enough my boss b*lls.......
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aiya...singapore weather hot so face of course black lar!!(just kidding)Originally posted by Cystaire:You saying that Singaporean generally happy?
Then why I everywhere go I see tak khor been aw aw (everyone face black-black)?
But what i meant was that to be happy or unhappy is just a route that you choose, so why not choose the happier one? -
Yah lah, per capital $27,800 (2004) is quite damn rich.Originally posted by blowfish:We are darn rich? -
I think in Singapore your two choices are:Originally posted by TYING:aiya...singapore weather hot so face of course black lar!!(just kidding)
But what i meant was that to be happy or unhappy is just a route that you choose, so why not choose the happier one?
1. buay song
2. kan see lang buay song
So I already pick the happier one, unfortunately still not really happy.
Anyway I still surprise you belief you can adjust your own happiness macam light-dimmer like that... are you Tony Robbins believer?
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nope, not a believer in anything. just that i often make the right choice, so im of course happy. arent u?Originally posted by Cystaire:I think in Singapore your two choices are:
1. buay song
2. kan see lang buay song
So I already pick the happier one, unfortunately still not really happy.
Anyway I still surprise you belief you can adjust your own happiness macam light-dimmer like that... are you Tony Robbins believer? -
Singaporean unhappiness can be explain in just one page of website.
http://post.sg.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=20223&wv=1 -
I see you still young, dun say I never tell you - never underestimate the power of your environment on your personal well-being.Originally posted by TYING:nope, not a believer in anything. just that i often make the right choice, so im of course happy. arent u?
Really, I never hau siao you. -
What you say is true. Im just a student who doent need to carry any burden or worries. maybe what u think might be true, but im definitely 1 singaporean who is happy.Originally posted by Cystaire:I see you still young, dun say I never tell you - never underestimate the power of your environment on your personal well-being.
Really, I never hau siao you. -
you must get your facts right?
the singapore govt is rich, not singaporeans!!!
singapore is top 10 this and top 10 that, not singaporeans!!!
thats why singaporeans are unhappy, not the singapore govt!!!
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Wah lau eh!Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:Singaporean unhappiness can be explain in just one page of website.
http://post.sg.polls.yahoo.com/quiz/quizresults.php?poll_id=20223&wv=1
Damn interesting data, man. Are you sure it's not the same siao kiah click 1821 times non-stop? -
Me ish O Level Geography Student.Originally posted by Cystaire:Yah lah, per capital $27,800 (2004) is quite damn rich.
GDP refers to the sum of total value of the final goods and services produced in a country during a given period.
I agree to a certain extent that GDP per capita is useful as an indicator to the quality of life.
GDP per capita is derived from the sum total of all goods and services produced by a country divided by the total number to people in the country.
By doing so, it provides a common basis for comparison of all countries in the world.
When there is a high GDP per capita, it can mean that the citizen are able to afford food, shelter and education. Singapore, Canada and the USA are examples of countries that have a high GDP per capita, and the citizens generally enjoy a good quality of life.
However, a high GDP per capita does not automatically mean that the quality of life is good. This is because GDP per capita does not take into account the distribution of wealth. Not everyone in the country have access to the same amount of resources.
Saudi Arabia is an example of a country with a relatively high GDP per capita, but the wealth lies mainly with those involved in the extraction of the country's crude oil.
A good quality of life is concerned with more than economic well-being, as it also takes into account personal satisfaction of cultural and environment conditions.
If a higher GDP per capita is achieved at the expense of living conditions or the environment, eq. rapid deforestation due to an increase in demand for wood products, then the quality of life cannot be said to have improved.
GDP per capita does not take into account unpaid work such as homemaking, volunteer work and community service. These help to improve quality of life, but they are not reflected in the GDP per capita. Hence, GDP per capita does not reflect accurately the quality of life.
Extracted from 'O' Level The Essential Geography Elective Exam Practice (Exam Paper Answer 1) Q 5(b) -
Yahoo leh. Got ip logged. Everyone can only vote once.Originally posted by Cystaire:Wah lau eh!
Damn interesting data, man. Are you sure it's not the same siao kiah click 1821 times non-stop? -
Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:
Textbook answer.
Me ish O Level Geography Student.
GDP refers to the sum of total value of the final goods and services produced in a country during a given period.
I agree to a certain extent that GDP per capita is useful as an indicator to the quality of life.
GDP per capita is derived from the sum total of all goods and services produced by a country divided by the total number to people in the country.
By doing so, it provides a common basis for comparison of all countries in the world.
When there is a high GDP per capita, it can mean that the citizen are able to afford food, shelter and education. Singapore, Canada and the USA are examples of countries that have a high GDP per capita, and the citizens generally enjoy a good quality of life.
However, a high GDP per capita does not automatically mean that the quality of life is good. This is because GDP per capita does not take into account the distribution of wealth. Not everyone in the country have access to the same amount of resources.
Saudi Arabia is an example of a country with a relatively high GDP per capita, but the wealth lies mainly with those involved in the extraction of the country's crude oil.
A good quality of life is concerned with more than economic well-being, as it also takes into account personal satisfaction of cultural and environment conditions.
If a higher GDP per capita is achieved at the expense of living conditions or the environment, eq. rapid deforestation due to an increase in demand for wood products, then the quality of life cannot be said to have improved.
GDP per capita does not take into account unpaid work such as homemaking, volunteer work and community service. These help to improve quality of life, but they are not reflected in the GDP per capita. Hence, GDP per capita does not reflect accurately the quality of life.
Extracted from 'O' Level The Essential Geography Elective Exam Practice (Exam Paper Answer 1) Q 5(b)
But if we enjoy a good quality of life, why are so many people been aw aw? And why so many people want to migrate? -
People just aren't contented with what they have. Not just that, they are incapable of making themselves contented. -
yup yup...
The distribution of wealth is unbalance... i know its getting out of topic... The gov. must later make an open move that everybody in Singapore know that they help the poor as the increase of GST was intended to help the poor. I dun think they can assumed rich pple will be more affected by the gst than the poor. If thats the case, it affects our economy as well while poor pple dun shop coz of gst increase.
Back to the topic, i think pple in SG are either stressed from the high standard of living or they cant be easily satisfied with life... There are many happy go lucky pple i know of =/
Juz an idea, may be crap anyway.... -
Generally people enjoy good quality of life mah. But those MRT cases etc are really the minorities.Originally posted by Cystaire:Textbook answer.
But if we enjoy a good quality of life, why are so many people been aw aw? And why so many people want to migrate?
People want to migrate could be due to unhappiness with the government, high cost of living expenses and hiking bus/mrt fares -
Your post, threadstarter, is very much I like. I like to discuss about this topic.
I think Singaporeans are unhappy because they are overworked, simple as that.
Here in Singapore, students are always tops in international competitions.
Workforce, although no international competition, I think also tops in productivity compared internationally.
You often read about how the average student here spend the most hours in doing homework, or maybe top 3 or top 5 in the world, forgot.
Same too about average employees work hours in a week.
Meanwhile, the inverse is true when we read about how many hours is spent in a week for sex. Always bottom, or bottom 3 whatever.
This kind of work work work environment produces material wealth, but no emotional wealth.
Like producing material wealth takes time, producing emotional wealth also takes time. But all attention is focused on material wealth.
Singapore is unique, small country, no resources, but very ambitious. How to be ambitious? By pumping the human resource, whether in education or business.
It is true the average Singaporean is a good student and good worker, and the economy shows that as a result. The statistics show that.
But the cost is your happiness.
Unfortunately we dont measure happiness. There is no statistics for that. People wont bother to design a Happiness Index. It will be deemed as quasi science, junk even.
It is overlooked area. Therefore it suffers.
And frankly, maybe this situation will last for much longer. Simply because Singapore fundamental condition wont change much. Unless maybe if it can turn itself into a tourism haven or suddenly it find oil.
If nothing much change on the underlying level, then nothing will change in its society too. -
Errr.....I dont know about the pride thing / national identity thing.
I think maybe that will require a separate discussion, and maybe not so much related to happiness, although it is quite a serious issue too.
To talk more about happiness, I left out one more thing:
Religion.
Here in Singapore, many people are atheist.
It can be said a part of that is because of government policy.
Here if you take out money from your wallet and look at it, you cannot find any reference to God.
It is pretty telling.
Religion can be misunderstood, I dont want to bring out the religious 'animosity' or religious principles/ rituals and whether they are good or bad.
What I want to mention is, religion is a kind of faith.
Faith is a kind of spiritual wealth.
With faith, with religion, you can find inner peace and happiness, you will see life differently, you will view world differently.
With this kind of spiritual wealth, you will be more happy.
Here in Singapore there are many atheists, therefore there are many people who dont know why they live in this world, dont know why they are like robots everyday work work work, and dont have a direction.
I truly believe the big proportion of atheists, and lack of spirituality, contribute to the average happiness level.