The dream of a bright future is something that had its roots deeply curved around the soil of Singaporeans’ minds. Although money by itself does not emit light, and can in no way contribute to “brightness”, Singaporeans associate “bright” future and wealth with little trouble.
Using the pursue of a “bright future” as a convenient excuse for materialistic wants and pure greed is the norm nowadays. This by itself is bad enough. The fact that the pursue of wealth alone makes Singaporeans unable to think and reflect really trashes the future of Singaporeans and shoves all light into the black hole in some unknown location.
It is of course true that having more money is good. Do you rather earn $20000 a month or $2000 a month? Of course everyone would choose the former. With more money, one can buy more food, gadgets, furniture, and anything one wants, even the life of another human being. However, is it really that good to earn that $20000?
Assuming you do not earn the money through illegal means, earning $20k per month would mean that your job is of high importance, and of high responsibilities. Such would mean very high commitment, invasion of job into family life, and even stress related health problems. Are you ready for that?
Also assuming that you earn $20k per month, and can afford expensive home theatre system, while another person earns only $2k can only afford a normal CRT TV. At first glance, it would seem that you have a better life. But think about it: If your job pays in the area of $20k, do you think you would have the time to enjoy your home theatre system? On the other hand, the $2k earner can spend more time with his family at home, and can enjoy his plain CRT TV for long hours.
For me, a bright future does not equals endless accumulation of wealth. Life will lose its meaning if you can afford anything you want. Scotts Adams, the man behind Dilbert comic, and generally considered as one of the greatest thinkers alive, recounts his experience of his transition from poor to rich.
Before his comic became popular, he had always wanted to buy a particular car model. However, after his comic became a success and he found himself capable of affording as many of that particular car he wanted, he found that there is no meaning in wanting anything anymore. If you get everything you want, you will stop wanting anything. In the end, he just went to a car dealer and randomly picked a car.
The bright future I want consist of me earning a living in my favourite field - IT, with the ability to work from home so that I can be with my family all the time. To put it simply, my 2 dreams are:
1) IT job - which I love to do
2) work from home.
Now, people like NGCH will start giving me bullshit like in the real world it is hard to find jobs that a person like. Just find a well-paying job and make do with it.
To that, I say bullshit!
Dear reader, you have only one life on this world. Do you want to spend the rest of your short life counting notes in your bank, or do you want to do things that stimulate you, makes you happy, and let you die a happy man?
Thus when I look at unmarried but ****ing rich people in their 40s and 50s, I wonder why they had chosen that path. Why do they see wealth as more important than happiness? Wealth cannot follow a person to his grave, but happiness shall always be carved in to the brain. If heaven or hell exists, happy memories will be carried there, not wealth.
Another bullshit that people may give is that money can be used to buy happiness. Is paying for sex, buying exotic gadgets, comfortable furniture considered happiness? No! These are enjoyment, not happiness.
There has to be a cause behind the corrosion of the idea of a “bright future” from happiness to greed. And that cause is most Singaporeans’ parents. Their mindsets, to be exact.
To be continued…
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Hello Wei Kiat.
Well, this is the Internet. I have to respect your views, and I must say you have a point about weath being unable buy happiness. I do have a dream you know, and it happens to be IT related.
However, I like to point out that what I did was just expressing my view. You can agree with it or disagree with it. Perhaps my arguments are not strong enough. Perhaps my GP is not as good as yours. Still, let us not pull this argument down to name-calling, okay?
You have great talent, Wei Kiat. But please remember that there are some of us who have yet to find the light at the end of the tunnel. Please, have patience with us.
Hi Wei Kiat,
I think the other point you were trying to make (esp in the second last paragraph) was 喜悦 vs 开心.
i think u got a pt =] i think that it is true that wealth does not buy happiness. i think it is true that happiness cannot be bought, except momentary stimulus that provides alternative satisfaction. it is true that greed sometimes fuels this misleading concept as well. i agree wholeheartedly that there are those who are confused with this as well, and it’s not surprising to be misled, because happiness and money are so closely interlinked. however let us not be too quick to criticize those who have “made it big”. who are we to know that they have not already achieved what makes them happy in the first place. rich people don’t simply watch the digits in their bank account grow bigger. they are often socialites and the company of people brings them great pleasure as well. they gain a great sense of accomplishment for doing what they do, and being good at it, and part of that is from earning loads of cash sometimes. is that not part of happiness as well? i guess it all boils down to a person’s own definition of happiness. i believe it is all about the person finding his own purpose in life. is it to be a good father? is it enough? is it to find a partner in life forever and that will be enough? happiness is about enjoying what you have around you, and/or striving for it if you have yet to fully attain what your heart desires. for some, it is self-actualization, illuminating others with their own great deeds so that others may follow in their footsteps and in so doing, find purpose. we all live to search for happiness, even if we don’t know it yet. when we are sad, we look for an alternative emotion. when we need something, we look for that. it’s something so innate, so instinctive, so natural that we often overlook it. so yes, wealth cannot buy anything as intangible as happiness, but it is certain that it places you on a better standing to gain happiness.
what better joy is there for a father than to give to his children? what better joy is there for a husband than to provide for his wife? money is not everything, but we have to accept that the currency of the world today is, in fact, currency. it’s the way the world has come to do things, and it’s efficient. happiness cannot be bought. happiness is not an item for sale. yet we cannot dismiss money’s importance in its making.
anyway, in my opinion, it is in the nature of humans to lament their circumstances. rich or not. =]
thanks for all the insightful and interesting comments. this entry was actually born out of boredom in BMTC.