I was rudely woken up by a huge thunderclap this morning which also tripped the power to our place. I stayed awake for the storm to pass fearing it might cut the power again, using that time to read the papers which I was too busy throughout the day to read.
It was no fun reading this at 3 am in the morning. In fact it was depressing until I pause to think. This was a badly thought article by the ST. Totally missed the point and embarrassingly superficial carrying a frightened government agenda, one that have no insight, conviction and courage to make a turning point and wanting to persist with an old paradigm. Sadly we have no alternative to the PAP.
The issue is very simple, it is the Search for Meaning. It was never an issue when we were only looking to survive. Actually we were looking for meaning for a while now but we cannot delay this further. The more intense rat race and increasingly stressful school system have become meaningless. Looks like people here are increasingly looking to the non-material, especially to relationships and love. And they asked for a slower pace because they are simply too exhausted. They know they cannot keep going like that. We are not living diminishing returns but negative returns. Which rational and emotionally balanced person would want to keep carrying on this way? It is self destruction.
Sounding like a broken record, that's why we cannot get by with just a very good government. We need great government breaking into new paths never traveled by any before. We need to boldly go but first we need to know where. Will they be a journey of a people or many personal journeys?
I believe Singaporeans are prepared to work even harder and smarter than their parents provided the work is meaningful. It is not work-life balance but the mysterious work-life conflation which together give more work and life as well. The way we manage and lead must completely change and I think the young will figure this out if we allow them.
Peng You
*The writer blogs at http://blogging4myself.blogspot.sg