Choose your pace of life

By Bryan Chow Weng Keong, Published TODAY, 3 Jan 2013

I read with interest Mr Heng Wei Xiang's I Say piece "Strawberry dreams forever" (Dec 28), on talk of polytechnic students wanting a stress-free society.

He is right in noting that as our society progresses, we must have more compassion for the less fortunate and greater respect for all members of society, regardless of their social standing.

However, calls to systematically remove stress from our society, for segments of the population to pursue our epicurean pleasures, are irrational. Proposals such as a four-day workweek or to reduce examination stress are idealistic at best and naive at worst.

We cannot insulate ourselves from the current climate of increasing globalisation and competition, be it from the international flow of talent, movement of investments into or out of Singapore or from Asian powerhouses such as China and India.

There is also heightened awareness of economic instability in the West, and Singapore would not be spared the reverberations of any financial collapse. This is the time to improve our labour force and to hedge against uncertainties in this postmodern world.

Ultimately, nothing is stopping any of us from getting more involved in society and giving back to worthy causes. But the country should not slow down to accommodate individuals who would not want to be left behind just because everyone else is outpacing them.

To call for a reduction in the pace of life here would be to contend with a lower living standard, which not all of us are prepared to accept.

We should not view stress as being innately unhealthy. Neither should we accept the pursuit of monetary rewards as being intrinsically at odds with our non-material needs.

The realities of life may not diminish our next generation's youthful aspirations, but the wisdom of years reminds us that we cannot expect everything to strike a right balance. 

We choose our own pace to run in life, and it is selfish to ask that everyone else adopts a pace to suit ours.

Strawberry dreams forever

by Heng Wei Xiang, TODAY, 28 Dec 2012

The TODAY article, "Poly students want 'stress-free' society" (Dec 21), stirred much discussion. At a dialogue attended by 185 polytechnic students, the participants shared a desire for, among other things, a kinder, less materialistic and less stressful society. 

Many Facebook commentators saw them as "soft", "lazy" or "pampered". I was at the session, as a reporter, and I felt the students spoke for me, too. 

We have been routinely referred to as the "strawberry generation", implying weakness and vulnerability. 

But are the aspirations of our youth opposed to the prevailing Singaporean ideology of hard work, economic growth and material wealth? 

The students described their ideal society as compassionate, open-minded, progressive and inclusive. At the risk of over-generalising, I would say that youth today hold dear humanist values. These include social justice, equality, compassion and a commitment to oneself and society. Many identify with causes championing LGBT rights and foreign workers' rights.

During the session, a poly student hoped that Singaporean society will recognise that "each (occupation) is equally valuable, as long as you follow your dreams". When considering future careers, salary is not of utmost concern (among my peers at least).

We instead want to do meaningful work. We seek personal development on social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. We value experiences over possessions. 

A 'hindsight generation'

We represent what I term the "hindsight generation". We see first-hand how the 5Cs have failed those who came before us. We are disillusioned with such material trappings. 

Take my parents as an example. They come home from work exhausted, barely have time to do household chores and watch television. Soon enough, it is bed-time. 

Having said that, I was not a neglected child. They did spend quality time with me. What they did not get to spend time on was themselves. 

We desire to lead better lives than that. We respect the opinion that hard work and money will see us through life. After all, Singapore has one of the highest per capita incomes worldwide. 

We also see that having money does not equate happiness. Money is but one aspect of it. We desire to lead meaningful lives. That does not necessarily mean we are averse to work. We hope to find a middle ground between the material and non-material.

While discussing the issue with my parents, they said that youth may be idealistic now, but will become pragmatic as they experience the realities of life. "When you have a family to feed ..." (Here's the kicker: Who said anything about a family?) Only time will tell if our aspirations are merely the fleeting whimsies of youth.

I must admit: My parents have learnt to take life easier in recent years, and I applaud them for it. As Buddhists, they embarked on meditation, even taking annual retreats to rural Thailand. 

It seems that it is not only youth who desire less stress these days. It may well be a nation-wide trend.

Heng Wei Xiang, 18, is a member of the TODAY Journalism Internship programme. He is awaiting enlistment for National Service.

Poly students want 'stress-free' society

Their vision for Singapore in 2030 at odds with increasingly competitive global environment

by Amir Hussain, TODAY, 21 Dec 2012

A more gracious and inclusive society with a slower pace of life, where Singaporeans are happier than they are today and not caught up in the rat race. 

This is the Singapore that 185 students from four polytechnics here hope to see in 2030. 

In particular, the students hoped for a "stress-free" society, less competition at the workplace and a four-day work week - wishes that are at odds with the increasingly competitive global environment that Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong tried to paint to them. 

The youths from Temasek Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) were participating in a two-hour dialogue yesterday with Mr Wong as part of the Our Singapore Conversation project. 

The participants' views prompted Mr Wong to explain at length the increasingly competitive global environment that Singapore will find itself in. 

Nevertheless, speaking to TODAY afterwards, Mr Wong said he was not worried and he could understand why the youths felt that way.

"They grew up in a certainly more stressful environment, a more competitive environment, and so I think it's natural that there is that desire for them to want a better work-life balance, to have a better quality of life," Mr Wong said. 

Mr Wong added: "I think that what's important is, as I have tried to do, to help them understand that we have to make a living within a more competitive environment at the same time. 

"And so as we try to find our way in that competitive environment, I think then they will have to find their own balance."

The dialogue was jointly organised by the People's Association Youth Movement (PAYM) and the SP's Youth Model ASEAN Conference committee. 

The participants were split into 10 groups to discuss five key themes: Education, family, jobs, society and people. They then presented their ideas to Mr Wong.

SP student Daniel Chew, 19, suggested a four-day work week with a break on Wednesday, "so it gives you time to relax".

He noted that most people usually feel burnt out by the fourth day of the week and have to drag themselves to work on Fridays.

Another participant added: "We want Singaporeans to be more approachable and friendly, and have a more optimistic and carefree lifestyle, to be stress-free."

Mr Wong said the idea of a four-day work week was enticing but he noted that businesses will be affected. 

On their ideal Singapore in 2030, the participants should take into account the Republic's broader environment then, Mr Wong said. 

By 2030, China would have overtaken the United States as the world's largest economy. 

The economies of Asia would also be larger than the combined economies of the US and Europe by then, he said. 

Other trends include the Republic's ageing population, the rise of Asia's middle class and the growing demand for resources such as food and energy, which will put pressures on commodity prices.

"It's not to be taken for granted that Singapore will be where we are today, because other cities are growing much faster than us, and the drive to get ahead is very strong," said Mr Wong.

"And we must keep in mind that we are a small city within this bigger world. And as we think about what we would like to have in the future we have to consider these factors as well," he added.

"It's a question of choice and consequence ... all of us can choose but we must be mindful that there are consequences behind (a particular) choice," Mr Wong said.

Apart from talking about the Singapore they would like to see in 2030, the participants voiced strong opinions on perennial issues affecting their daily lives now - the lack of concessionary travel on public transport and the availability of university places for Singaporeans.

In response, Mr Wong said the issue of concessionary fare for public transport for polytechnic students is being reviewed by the Ministry of Transport. 

On university places, he reiterated that the percentage of each cohort entering university will be increased from the current 30 per cent to 40 per cent, while the percentage of international students has gone down from 18 per cent to 15 per cent.