Sabtu, 31 Juli 2010
Rabu, 28 Juli 2010
Wallpaper Epiphany
*Thumbing through wallpaper samples of around 20cm x 20cm*
GF: What about this one?
Me: Yeah... You see... That's the problem. What looks good at this sample size may not look great when filling up an entire wall. It's like... Some people do well as boyfriends, but not good as life partners/husbands.
=)
-----------------------------------------------
And it's really hard to avoid making the decision solely based on what you 'see' in the samples, coz most of us lack the experience/ foresight/ imagination. The samples feel so real... so perfect... We like... We like... We must have...
Once it's up on the wall in its full glory and gory details, we then spend time convincing ourselves that it's the right choice. Coz otherwise, we would have to admit our mistake and re-do. Now that's... tiring. It's much easier to convince ourselves that everything is ok.
GF: What about this one?
Me: Yeah... You see... That's the problem. What looks good at this sample size may not look great when filling up an entire wall. It's like... Some people do well as boyfriends, but not good as life partners/husbands.
=)
-----------------------------------------------
And it's really hard to avoid making the decision solely based on what you 'see' in the samples, coz most of us lack the experience/ foresight/ imagination. The samples feel so real... so perfect... We like... We like... We must have...
Once it's up on the wall in its full glory and gory details, we then spend time convincing ourselves that it's the right choice. Coz otherwise, we would have to admit our mistake and re-do. Now that's... tiring. It's much easier to convince ourselves that everything is ok.
Facebook kena Hacked!
This is what I see when I try to access www.facebook.com at the time of this entry.
Selasa, 27 Juli 2010
The unFashionable Enforcement Function
HDB acquires 4 flats
To date, there are roughly about 1 million units of HDB flats in Singapore.
Assuming no repeats, then HDB has only covered 0.33% of all flats in Singapore in almost 1 year at about 10 flats per work day.
At this rate, it will take HDB 3oo years to complete a thorough exercise, assuming the supply of flats remains the same.
Of course, one hopes that the act of taking any action against errant flat owners will be a stern and effective warning to the rest. 杀一儆百. But that... is a huge assumption on its own.
.......................................................................................
Which brings us to another significant point.
头重脚轻
If you have noticed, many (not all) public agencies have very developed 'brain, mouth and fingers' departments. These departments do the thinking, talking and typing, i.e. craft the policies which translates to Acts, guidelines etc, services the politicans/public etc. The muscles in these departments are huge and their attendant budgets are... sometimes... on steriods.
Meanwhile, the departments in-charge of compliance/enforcement, i.e. those who are supposed to go whack people for not complying with the respective Acts/guidelines, are usually relatively very small... underdeveloped... and of course, not 'cool' to be part of. Only a few public agencies have clearly and conscientiously developed their 'compliance/enforcement' muscles to use the powers vested to them through their respective pieces of legislation . The obvious being the Home Team, parts of Ministry of Manpower etc.
So, if everyone only wants to dance, drink and be seen as happening in the party, who is playing 'Bouncer'?
不做，就不可能错
I have not heard anyone mouth the official reason to why many enforcement arms are under-developed. No one in his 'right' mind will give such a statement. But it's crystal clear that the lack of enforcement muscle has been used to reject responsibilities, e.g. "We can't help to enforce this... Our enforcement unit is very tiny... We can only enforce passively, i.e. triggered by complaints..." Then it all comes back to the all-time favourite line: "It's better for the industry, residents, public etc... to self-regulate."
To put it very simply, no one wants to open up this can of worms during his 3 to 5-year reign of chief of XYZ public agency. There is a lot of enforcement work undone.
And setting up and sustaining an effective enforcement arm is a specialist domain on its own, which very few people in the service really possess. You need to grow functional skills such as investigation, operations and intel. You need to find officers who are willing to and well-equipped with knowledge to play the enforcing role. You need to secure a senior executive to oversee this department and maintain its morale. And most of all, you may not get to see results as fast/fancy as if you had spent those resources on setting up a sexy policy/ businss development/ rah rah unit.
机会与智慧
However, if you do learn to do so and also educate the public on how the enforcement can be genuinely effective, the public will be very grateful because effective enforcement has always been seen as the differentiating factor of Singapore.
See this as an opportunity. 'Blue Ocean'-ish. To create jobs and extend careers by hiring retired officers who have these skills. This will help to keep morale high. And since quite a few public agencies need this function, a Plug'n'Play framework can be developed across the Service. Yet another point to score, right?
In the past 5 months, HDB has carried out checks on 2,600 cases, of which almost 30% were due to complaints. Together with the 690 cases checked from Aug-Dec 2009, the total no. of cases for almost 1 year = 3,290.As part of the stepped-up enforcement against unauthorised subletting, the HDB carried out checks on 2,600 flats in the first five months of this year - four times more than the 690 inspections it made in the earlier five months from August to December last year.
Of the cases checked, 1,860 arose from HDB's routine inspections, while 740 cases were based on feedback from members of the public.
'Close to 2,300 cases are found to be in order. Investigation is still on-going for the remaining 300 cases. Of these, 59 cases are suspected to have infringed the subletting rules,' said the HDB.
To date, there are roughly about 1 million units of HDB flats in Singapore.
Assuming no repeats, then HDB has only covered 0.33% of all flats in Singapore in almost 1 year at about 10 flats per work day.
At this rate, it will take HDB 3oo years to complete a thorough exercise, assuming the supply of flats remains the same.
Of course, one hopes that the act of taking any action against errant flat owners will be a stern and effective warning to the rest. 杀一儆百. But that... is a huge assumption on its own.
.......................................................................................
Which brings us to another significant point.
头重脚轻
If you have noticed, many (not all) public agencies have very developed 'brain, mouth and fingers' departments. These departments do the thinking, talking and typing, i.e. craft the policies which translates to Acts, guidelines etc, services the politicans/public etc. The muscles in these departments are huge and their attendant budgets are... sometimes... on steriods.
Meanwhile, the departments in-charge of compliance/enforcement, i.e. those who are supposed to go whack people for not complying with the respective Acts/guidelines, are usually relatively very small... underdeveloped... and of course, not 'cool' to be part of. Only a few public agencies have clearly and conscientiously developed their 'compliance/enforcement' muscles to use the powers vested to them through their respective pieces of legislation . The obvious being the Home Team, parts of Ministry of Manpower etc.
So, if everyone only wants to dance, drink and be seen as happening in the party, who is playing 'Bouncer'?
不做，就不可能错
I have not heard anyone mouth the official reason to why many enforcement arms are under-developed. No one in his 'right' mind will give such a statement. But it's crystal clear that the lack of enforcement muscle has been used to reject responsibilities, e.g. "We can't help to enforce this... Our enforcement unit is very tiny... We can only enforce passively, i.e. triggered by complaints..." Then it all comes back to the all-time favourite line: "It's better for the industry, residents, public etc... to self-regulate."
To put it very simply, no one wants to open up this can of worms during his 3 to 5-year reign of chief of XYZ public agency. There is a lot of enforcement work undone.
And setting up and sustaining an effective enforcement arm is a specialist domain on its own, which very few people in the service really possess. You need to grow functional skills such as investigation, operations and intel. You need to find officers who are willing to and well-equipped with knowledge to play the enforcing role. You need to secure a senior executive to oversee this department and maintain its morale. And most of all, you may not get to see results as fast/fancy as if you had spent those resources on setting up a sexy policy/ businss development/ rah rah unit.
机会与智慧
However, if you do learn to do so and also educate the public on how the enforcement can be genuinely effective, the public will be very grateful because effective enforcement has always been seen as the differentiating factor of Singapore.
See this as an opportunity. 'Blue Ocean'-ish. To create jobs and extend careers by hiring retired officers who have these skills. This will help to keep morale high. And since quite a few public agencies need this function, a Plug'n'Play framework can be developed across the Service. Yet another point to score, right?
Senin, 26 Juli 2010
Who is this dirty kitty?
 |
| Why is this world so... hazy?? |
This is the reason why he is called Blinky. His eyes were infected when I found him at the Bedok North Bak Chor Mee Hawker Centre Car Park in 1998.
 |
| This woman keeps flashing lights at me! ARRGGH! My Eyes!! |
He was all stinky with eyes hardly opened. Had to bring to the vet to get his eyes fixed.
 |
| I am handsome and I know it. |
Look at how small he was 12 years ago!
 |
| I'll show you how small I am! I bite you! I bite you!! |
Look at that face! Wouldn't you have grabbed him off the streets too??
 |
| Yeah Yeah Yeah... Shut up and gimme the nomz oredi!! |
You know how pictures of human beings show their lateral expansion over the years? It's the same for cats too!
Fat fat oredi!!
 |
| Eh? Who says I'm fat?!! I'm BIG-BONED! |
Look at how skinny Tiger was!! He looked like Skeletor!
 |
| Eh! Got things moving outside... Trippy!! |
HUH?? Are you talking about me???
Who says I'm Skeletor??
 |
| I'm so evil... I'm goooooood! |
I'm a handsome stud, ok!
 |
| Excuse me, Madam. Would you like some tea and scones? |
I can also be very sweet.
 |
| I'm peeping at you!! |
Right??
Hang on... While I chew Blinky's leg off...
 |
| Fatty Cat Leg! NOM NOM NOM! |
Minggu, 25 Juli 2010
Friendship is... really... Bullshite
One thing stands out very clearly amongst the most intelligent and emotionally-mature individuals I've had the pleasure of interacting with: They keep to themselves.
What does 'keep to themselves' mean?
While maintaining wide networks of trusted co-workers and subordinates, and sometimes even helping acquaintances through difficult personal times, these individuals do not 'hang out' with others. They will say they have friends, but in reality, they are very private individuals.
On a 'real' level, this has puzzled me. How can these people not want friends? As in true friends whom you share anything under the sun with?
Yet, on the instinctive level, I have always felt that this is the right and, most importantly, INEVITABLE way to go. Somehow, I've always known that this thing called 'friendship' is really Utopian.
And recently, the rationale has become even clearer than the hazy instinctive leaning. That I have been asking the wrong questions all this while. I have been asking 'how can anyone not want friends?', when I should have been asking 'Is it possible to find a friend?'.
...............................................................................
I'd always thought I had a good friend in X. I've known him for at least 6 years. I believe we have been sharing thoughts and feelings about most things under the sun.
To me, he is an intelligent individual who can achieve anything in life if he sets his mind to it.
A couple of years after we got to know each other, we each got attached to our partners respectively. Double-dating was something we tried and enjoyed.
Like most people, he has had his fair share of problems. Work, relationship, family, aspirations etc. He tries to manage them through various means... sharing with friends... turning to religion... maintaining work-life balance etc.
In the recent months, X started to bitch an abnormal lot...
At first, it was about this friend he had back in secondary school, who has gone onto living his dream in Australia in terms of lifestyle, career etc... then the focus of the bitchings shifted onto a common friend's partner who is supposedly an intelligent good looker.
X started to fill our MSN chats with pictures from these people's blogs, facebooks, getting me to read about their lives... alot... 'Alot' refers to every MSN conversation, every dinner etc... as if he was sharing with me tidbits and pictures of superstars or some public figures... making comments such as,"It's not easy having a relationship with someone so good-looking."
This persistent behaviour triggered alarm bells in my head. Because obsessing about someone else's partner is definitely not a good sign, I asked X if everything was really fine between his partner and him. He said everything was fine.
Then I asked if X was jealous/envious of our friend's relationship with his good-looker partner and/or his sec school friend's lifestyle which he would like to have. X started to deny everything and blame his job. After that, the conversation went dead.
I tried to revive our conservation a few days later, then a few weeks later... And nothing. I don't even see him on MSN anymore.
Huh? Whatever happened to our 6-year old 'friendship'?
What a perfect waste of a perfectly intelligent brain on a perfect case of self-denial.
What's the moral of the story?
I should really just take a leaf out of the books of those intelligent and emotionally-mature people, and accept that it is really not possible to connect with another human being in an honest fashion.
What does 'keep to themselves' mean?
While maintaining wide networks of trusted co-workers and subordinates, and sometimes even helping acquaintances through difficult personal times, these individuals do not 'hang out' with others. They will say they have friends, but in reality, they are very private individuals.
On a 'real' level, this has puzzled me. How can these people not want friends? As in true friends whom you share anything under the sun with?
Yet, on the instinctive level, I have always felt that this is the right and, most importantly, INEVITABLE way to go. Somehow, I've always known that this thing called 'friendship' is really Utopian.
And recently, the rationale has become even clearer than the hazy instinctive leaning. That I have been asking the wrong questions all this while. I have been asking 'how can anyone not want friends?', when I should have been asking 'Is it possible to find a friend?'.
...............................................................................
To me, he is an intelligent individual who can achieve anything in life if he sets his mind to it.
Like most people, he has had his fair share of problems. Work, relationship, family, aspirations etc. He tries to manage them through various means... sharing with friends... turning to religion... maintaining work-life balance etc.
In the recent months, X started to bitch an abnormal lot...
At first, it was about this friend he had back in secondary school, who has gone onto living his dream in Australia in terms of lifestyle, career etc... then the focus of the bitchings shifted onto a common friend's partner who is supposedly an intelligent good looker.
X started to fill our MSN chats with pictures from these people's blogs, facebooks, getting me to read about their lives... alot... 'Alot' refers to every MSN conversation, every dinner etc... as if he was sharing with me tidbits and pictures of superstars or some public figures... making comments such as,"It's not easy having a relationship with someone so good-looking."
This persistent behaviour triggered alarm bells in my head. Because obsessing about someone else's partner is definitely not a good sign, I asked X if everything was really fine between his partner and him. He said everything was fine.
Then I asked if X was jealous/envious of our friend's relationship with his good-looker partner and/or his sec school friend's lifestyle which he would like to have. X started to deny everything and blame his job. After that, the conversation went dead.
I tried to revive our conservation a few days later, then a few weeks later... And nothing. I don't even see him on MSN anymore.
Huh? Whatever happened to our 6-year old 'friendship'?
What a perfect waste of a perfectly intelligent brain on a perfect case of self-denial.
What's the moral of the story?
- Loads of people live their lives in denial, and as a 'friend', you should be the last person to point that out.
- That people do not want real friends. 'Friends' do not want your honest opinion to help them improve or solve their problems. They just want someone to complain to.
- The popular definition of 'friendship' is really just as superficial as those people's relationships of which they have previously dismissed disapprovingly.
- Most people are desperate to have friends and so subscribe to these distorted definitions and modes of 'friendships'.
- Hence, the value and nature of what's commonly known as 'friendship' out there... is... really... bullshite.
I should really just take a leaf out of the books of those intelligent and emotionally-mature people, and accept that it is really not possible to connect with another human being in an honest fashion.
Jumat, 23 Juli 2010
The World's Happiest Country is NOT Singapore
Keep scrolling downwards to find Singapore. We are more than halfway down the list. I've highlighted Singapore in blue to help you find it.
Table: The World's Happiest Countries - Forbes.com
Why does Singapore rank so low?
Singapore is #81 out of 155 countries. Behind countries such as Pakistan (#58) where bombings/murders take place, and one gets to witness a very public assassination of their former Prime Minister.
Distribution of Benefits & Suffering
The reason why Singapore ranks so low is not directly related to absolute wealth of the country. It's more about distribution of wealth (benefits) AND pain (suffering).
If you look at the Singapore data above again, it says of those polled, 19% felt they are thriving, while 75% felt they are struggling and 6% are suffering. 81% feel that they are NOT thriving.
If most people are rich and/or going through the same scary terrorist/ bombings/ murders/ nuclear war threat shite on a daily basis, we feel better... we are less unhappy... Life in this country seems more 'fair'...
However, if we keep hearing about how much GDP growth this country enjoys, how many more millionaires this country has created, how expensive those houses by the sea cost, but we don't see our own bank accounts growing, while our debts keep mounting, then we will feel that life in this country is not 'fair', and this will get reflected as unhappiness in the polls.
Between Singaporeans & Non-Singaporeans
If you stop to think about it. Who are these people within Singapore that make up the thriving 19%?
In the recent years, a significant proportion of this 19% within Singapore is not Singaporean.
Another more morbid way to look at the data is to ask:
Who are those in the 81% who are struggling or suffering?
This should be what our leaders want to lead us towards.
And it has been proven by 20 countries around the world to be possible. (Come on... even the US AND the UK are in the Top 20?!)
And we should not be stupid enough to believe that the only way out is to increase the talented/wealthy foreigner population such at it hits the 50% 'Thriving' mark, while Singaporeans mainly fill up the 'Struggling' basket.
Table: The World's Happiest Countries - Forbes.com
| Rank | Country | Region | % Thriving | % Struggling | % Suffering | Daily Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | Europe | 82 | 17 | 1 | 7.9 |
| 2 | Finland | Europe | 75 | 23 | 2 | 7.8 |
| 3 | Norway | Europe | 69 | 31 | 0 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Sweden | Europe | 68 | 30 | 2 | 7.9 |
| 4 | Netherlands | Europe | 68 | 32 | 1 | 7.7 |
| 6 | Costa Rica | Americas | 63 | 35 | 2 | 8.1 |
| 6 | New Zealand | Asia | 63 | 35 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Canada | Americas | 62 | 36 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Israel | Asia | 62 | 35 | 3 | 6.4 |
| 8 | Australia | Asia | 62 | 35 | 3 | 7.5 |
| 8 | Switzerland | Europe | 62 | 36 | 2 | 7.6 |
| 12 | Panama | Americas | 58 | 39 | 3 | 8.4 |
| 12 | Brazil | Americas | 58 | 40 | 2 | 7.5 |
| 14 | United States | Americas | 57 | 40 | 3 | 7.3 |
| 14 | Austria | Europe | 57 | 40 | 3 | 7.7 |
| 16 | Belgium | Europe | 56 | 41 | 3 | 7.3 |
| 17 | United Kingdom | Europe | 54 | 44 | 2 | 7.4 |
| 18 | Mexico | Americas | 52 | 43 | 5 | 7.7 |
| 18 | Turkmenistan | Asia | 52 | 47 | 1 | 7.5 |
| 20 | United Arab Emirates | Asia | 51 | 48 | 1 | 7.7 |
| 21 | Venezuela | Americas | 50 | 48 | 2 | 8.0 |
| 22 | Ireland | Europe | 49 | 49 | 2 | 7.5 |
| 23 | Puerto Rico | Americas | 47 | 45 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 23 | Kuwait | Asia | 47 | 50 | 3 | 7.0 |
| 23 | Iceland | Europe | 47 | 49 | 4 | 8.2 |
| 26 | Colombia | Americas | 46 | 47 | 7 | 7.7 |
| 26 | Jamaica | Americas | 46 | 49 | 5 | 7.7 |
| 28 | Cyprus | Asia | 45 | 50 | 5 | 6.6 |
| 28 | Luxembourg | Europe | 45 | 54 | 1 | 7.3 |
| 30 | Trinidad and Tobago | Americas | 44 | 51 | 5 | 7.9 |
| 30 | Argentina | Americas | 44 | 50 | 6 | 7.8 |
| 30 | Belize | Americas | 44 | 50 | 6 | 6.8 |
| 33 | Germany | Europe | 43 | 50 | 7 | 7.4 |
| 34 | El Salvador | Americas | 42 | 51 | 7 | 7.7 |
| 35 | Chile | Americas | 41 | 52 | 7 | 7.3 |
| 35 | Uruguay | Americas | 41 | 54 | 5 | 7.5 |
| 35 | Qatar | Asia | 41 | 58 | 1 | 6.8 |
| 38 | Guatemala | Americas | 40 | 50 | 10 | 7.7 |
| 38 | Malta | Europe | 40 | 48 | 12 | 6.6 |
| 40 | Czech Republic | Europe | 39 | 51 | 9 | 6.6 |
| 40 | Italy | Europe | 39 | 54 | 7 | 7.1 |
| 42 | Honduras | Americas | 37 | 49 | 14 | 7.5 |
| 43 | Spain | Europe | 36 | 58 | 6 | 7.0 |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | Americas | 35 | 54 | 11 | 7.3 |
| 44 | France | Europe | 35 | 60 | 6 | 7.0 |
| 46 | Bolivia | Americas | 34 | 59 | 7 | 7.0 |
| 46 | Ecuador | Americas | 34 | 52 | 15 | 7.6 |
| 48 | Paraguay | Americas | 32 | 59 | 9 | 8.3 |
| 48 | Bahrain | Asia | 32 | 45 | 23 | 7.0 |
| 50 | Guyana | Americas | 31 | 64 | 5 | 7.0 |
| 50 | Greece | Europe | 31 | 57 | 11 | 7.0 |
| 52 | Nicaragua | Americas | 30 | 53 | 17 | 7.4 |
| 52 | Jordan | Asia | 30 | 61 | 8 | 6.7 |
| 54 | Belarus | Europe | 29 | 59 | 12 | 6.5 |
| 54 | Kosovo | Europe | 29 | 65 | 6 | 6.2 |
| 56 | South Korea | Asia | 28 | 61 | 12 | 6.9 |
| 56 | Poland | Europe | 28 | 61 | 10 | 7.1 |
| 58 | Saudi Arabia | Asia | 27 | 69 | 3 | 6.7 |
| 58 | Pakistan | Asia | 27 | 50 | 23 | 6.2 |
| 58 | Slovenia | Europe | 27 | 57 | 16 | 6.8 |
| 61 | Croatia | Europe | 26 | 60 | 14 | 6.2 |
| 61 | Montenegro | Europe | 26 | 58 | 16 | 6.2 |
| 63 | Malawi | Africa | 25 | 64 | 10 | 8.0 |
| 63 | Peru | Americas | 25 | 65 | 11 | 7.2 |
| 63 | Moldova | Europe | 25 | 62 | 13 | 6.1 |
| 63 | Lithuania | Europe | 25 | 57 | 18 | 6.2 |
| 67 | Libya* | Africa | 24 | 68 | 8 | 6.0 |
| 67 | Botswana | Africa | 24 | 65 | 11 | 7.3 |
| 67 | Cuba* | Americas | 24 | 66 | 11 | 6.7 |
| 70 | Kazakhstan | Asia | 22 | 72 | 6 | 7.2 |
| 70 | Taiwan | Asia | 22 | 64 | 14 | 7.5 |
| 70 | Portugal | Europe | 22 | 61 | 17 | 7.1 |
| 73 | South Africa | Africa | 21 | 71 | 8 | 7.3 |
| 73 | Lebanon | Asia | 21 | 64 | 15 | 6.3 |
| 73 | Russia | Europe | 21 | 57 | 22 | 7.0 |
| 73 | Ukraine | Europe | 21 | 53 | 26 | 6.6 |
| 73 | Romania | Europe | 21 | 56 | 23 | 6.6 |
| 73 | Slovakia | Europe | 21 | 60 | 19 | 6.5 |
| 79 | Thailand | Asia | 20 | 75 | 5 | 8.0 |
| 79 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 20 | 59 | 20 | 6.2 |
| 81 | Iran | Asia | 19 | 66 | 14 | 6.3 |
| 81 | Hong Kong | Asia | 19 | 65 | 16 | 7.1 |
| 81 | Singapore | Asia | 19 | 75 | 6 | 6.9 |
| 81 | Japan | Asia | 19 | 69 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 85 | Somaliland | Africa | 18 | 77 | 5 | 7.1 |
| 85 | Algeria | Africa | 18 | 77 | 6 | 6.7 |
| 85 | Nigeria | Africa | 18 | 78 | 4 | 7.3 |
| 85 | Uzbekistan | Asia | 18 | 75 | 6 | 7.8 |
| 85 | Indonesia | Asia | 18 | 72 | 10 | 8.2 |
| 90 | Estonia | Europe | 17 | 62 | 21 | 6.8 |
| 91 | Myanmar* | Asia | 16 | 82 | 2 | 7.1 |
| 91 | Bangladesh | Asia | 16 | 71 | 13 | 6.9 |
| 91 | Serbia | Europe | 16 | 63 | 21 | 6.2 |
| 94 | Malaysia | Asia | 15 | 80 | 5 | 8.1 |
| 94 | Philippines | Asia | 15 | 68 | 18 | 7.2 |
| 96 | Cameroon | Africa | 14 | 77 | 9 | 7.0 |
| 96 | Tunisia | Africa | 14 | 77 | 9 | 6.8 |
| 96 | Zambia | Africa | 14 | 78 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 96 | Yemen | Asia | 14 | 62 | 24 | 6.3 |
| 96 | Vietnam | Asia | 14 | 76 | 10 | 6.9 |
| 96 | Palestinian Territories | Asia | 14 | 70 | 15 | 5.8 |
| 96 | Macedonia | Europe | 14 | 54 | 32 | 6.8 |
| 103 | Turkey | Asia | 13 | 67 | 20 | 6.0 |
| 103 | Kyrgyzstan | Asia | 13 | 81 | 7 | 7.3 |
| 103 | Azerbaijan | Asia | 13 | 70 | 17 | 6.6 |
| 103 | Hungary | Europe | 13 | 53 | 34 | 6.9 |
| 103 | Albania | Europe | 13 | 67 | 19 | 5.6 |
| 108 | Central African Republic | Africa | 12 | 75 | 13 | 6.4 |
| 108 | Ethiopia | Africa | 12 | 67 | 21 | 6.4 |
| 110 | Namibia | Africa | 11 | 79 | 10 | 8.1 |
| 110 | Angola | Africa | 11 | 81 | 8 | 6.8 |
| 110 | Armenia | Asia | 11 | 55 | 33 | 5.9 |
| 110 | Iraq | Asia | 11 | 71 | 18 | 5.2 |
| 110 | Latvia | Europe | 11 | 64 | 25 | 6.5 |
| 115 | Mozambique | Africa | 10 | 78 | 11 | 7.2 |
| 115 | Egypt | Africa | 10 | 71 | 19 | 6.1 |
| 115 | Mauritania | Africa | 10 | 83 | 7 | 7.2 |
| 115 | Zimbabwe | Africa | 10 | 73 | 17 | 7.3 |
| 115 | Morocco | Africa | 10 | 80 | 10 | 7.0 |
| 115 | Sri Lanka | Asia | 10 | 66 | 24 | 6.9 |
| 115 | India | Asia | 10 | 69 | 21 | 6.9 |
| 115 | Syria | Asia | 10 | 66 | 24 | 6.8 |
| 115 | Georgia | Asia | 10 | 56 | 35 | 6.2 |
| 115 | Afghanistan | Asia | 10 | 69 | 21 | 6.2 |
| 125 | Kenya | Africa | 9 | 78 | 13 | 7.5 |
| 125 | Ghana | Africa | 9 | 83 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 125 | China | Asia | 9 | 77 | 14 | 7.6 |
| 128 | Congo (Brazzaville) | Africa | 8 | 73 | 20 | 6.9 |
| 128 | Guinea | Africa | 8 | 89 | 3 | 7.1 |
| 130 | Sudan | Africa | 7 | 81 | 12 | 7.4 |
| 130 | Djibouti | Africa | 7 | 86 | 8 | 7.5 |
| 130 | Madagascar | Africa | 7 | 84 | 10 | 7.0 |
| 130 | Nepal | Asia | 7 | 82 | 11 | 7.4 |
| 130 | Mongolia | Asia | 7 | 81 | 12 | 7.0 |
| 130 | Laos | Asia | 7 | 89 | 4 | 7.1 |
| 130 | Tajikistan | Asia | 7 | 74 | 19 | 6.5 |
| 137 | Uganda | Africa | 6 | 71 | 23 | 6.8 |
| 137 | Tanzania | Africa | 6 | 70 | 24 | 7.5 |
| 137 | Senegal | Africa | 6 | 88 | 6 | 7.3 |
| 137 | Bulgaria | Europe | 6 | 58 | 36 | 6.5 |
| 141 | Chad | Africa | 5 | 88 | 7 | 7.1 |
| 141 | Liberia | Africa | 5 | 90 | 5 | 6.7 |
| 141 | Mali | Africa | 5 | 77 | 18 | 8.0 |
| 144 | Ivory Coast | Africa | 4 | 84 | 12 | 7.2 |
| 144 | Congo (Kinshasa) | Africa | 4 | 85 | 11 | 6.4 |
| 144 | Benin | Africa | 4 | 80 | 16 | 6.7 |
| 144 | Haiti | Americas | 4 | 60 | 35 | 6.2 |
| 148 | Niger | Africa | 3 | 86 | 11 | 7.9 |
| 148 | Rwanda | Africa | 3 | 75 | 22 | 7.8 |
| 148 | Burkina Faso | Africa | 3 | 71 | 26 | 6.5 |
| 148 | Sierra Leone | Africa | 3 | 74 | 23 | 6.3 |
| 148 | Cambodia | Asia | 3 | 75 | 22 | 7.6 |
| 153 | Comoros | Africa | 2 | 75 | 23 | 7.7 |
| 153 | Burundi | Africa | 2 | 58 | 40 | 7.5 |
| 155 | Togo | Africa | 1 | 67 | 31 | 5.0 |
Data: Gallup World Poll
Why does Singapore rank so low?
Singapore is #81 out of 155 countries. Behind countries such as Pakistan (#58) where bombings/murders take place, and one gets to witness a very public assassination of their former Prime Minister.
Distribution of Benefits & Suffering
The reason why Singapore ranks so low is not directly related to absolute wealth of the country. It's more about distribution of wealth (benefits) AND pain (suffering).
If you look at the Singapore data above again, it says of those polled, 19% felt they are thriving, while 75% felt they are struggling and 6% are suffering. 81% feel that they are NOT thriving.
If most people are rich and/or going through the same scary terrorist/ bombings/ murders/ nuclear war threat shite on a daily basis, we feel better... we are less unhappy... Life in this country seems more 'fair'...
However, if we keep hearing about how much GDP growth this country enjoys, how many more millionaires this country has created, how expensive those houses by the sea cost, but we don't see our own bank accounts growing, while our debts keep mounting, then we will feel that life in this country is not 'fair', and this will get reflected as unhappiness in the polls.
Between Singaporeans & Non-Singaporeans
If you stop to think about it. Who are these people within Singapore that make up the thriving 19%?
In the recent years, a significant proportion of this 19% within Singapore is not Singaporean.
Another more morbid way to look at the data is to ask:
Who are those in the 81% who are struggling or suffering?
So What?
If we wanna be in the top 20 happiest countries, at least 50% of the population needs to get into the 'Thriving' category, the next 50% in the 'Struggling', and few or none in the 'Suffering' category. This should be what our leaders want to lead us towards.
And it has been proven by 20 countries around the world to be possible. (Come on... even the US AND the UK are in the Top 20?!)
And we should not be stupid enough to believe that the only way out is to increase the talented/wealthy foreigner population such at it hits the 50% 'Thriving' mark, while Singaporeans mainly fill up the 'Struggling' basket.
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)