So, it got me thinking, "What about those who are not a part of online community or those who accepts online-socializing as a necessity yet only bare minimum involvement?", "What about those Aunties, Uncles, Senior citizens who look at PCs and electronic gadgets as if they are aliens?!" And it further led me to further exploring into the deeper reaches of Happiness.
The news also provoked my curiosity and me ended up in exploring more on this topic. The Straits Times' SINGAPOLITICS featured an article: Happiness, Singapore Style . And the findings according to the article match with my initial understanding in terms of Happiness and its Virtues, Merits and Values.
Throughout my life, I have heard people say; "If I ever won TOTO (Singapore Lottery) first prize, I will be really content and happy." or "If I am earning as much as he does, I will be very happy and content.". And I am sure most of you have said it or have similar thinking. 7 years ago, when I started working, I once said: "Oh, if I am earning 5k plus and working 5-days a week, there is nothing more I could want." At present moment, I am earning close to then-goal of 5k and 5-days a week. And I am still not content, let alone happy. Well, I'm just another human....just like any of you reading this. On the other hand, I am not sad nor depressed either. So, What are the things in present that keep us happy? What things or changes would make us happier?
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| Is affordability of cars one of the major issues? |
Directly quoting: "On living in Singapore, Singaporeans were most satisfied with the safety and security, the quality of law enforcement and cleanliness...."
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| Cost of living: key contributor to happiness |
"....They were least satisfied with bread and butter issues like the affordability of cars, houses, health care and cost of living."
Fair enough, safety, security, lawfulness/enforcement and cleanliness, these are the reasons to be proud of for a Singaporean. Affordability of cars, this item greatly contradicts with my thinking. When I first came to Singapore, calendar year 2002, I looked around in awe and amazement at how well the island-wide transportation infrastructure was faring. A bus-guide 2002 and the bus-fare card were the only tools I needed to travel around Singapore without so much a hassle. And I was very new, green and fresh to this urban city at that time. Down the years, the modes of transportation, accessibility and choices have improved leaps and bounds. With proper knowledge and planning, one can go home from a night out by taking night-rider without having to take Taxi. So, I feel that affordability of cars and/or owning a car is not a major issue. Rather, it's a minor irritating bump for the rich and wealthy. (Who needs a luxurious Red Ferrari, when you can have a BIG Red Double-Deck SBS bus? It comes with a bus-captain even!)
However, I am sad to agree that costs of housing, health care and cost of living as a whole, indeed, are the major things keeping us from happiness. For housing, the government does provide grants and subsidies, but majority of people are found to be lacking in terms of help received or benefited from it. Especially the now senior-age generation of people, for them it seems like the place they have been living had been shrinking ever since.
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| Health Care: a dire concern |
Healthcare! Right, whenever that word pops out, one of the few words that follow afterward is Medisave, CPF, MediShield. A visit to a polyclinic for seasonal and/or minor sickness used to cost S$20.00 in year 2005-2006. 7 years down the road, it's jumped more than double of S$50.00. But respective income does not increase twofolds for some people.
As a Singaporean, it sure is alarming and mind-depressing to know all these costs and in turn it is affecting the happiness. But, take a moment and think about it, not only you and me are facing these situations, all of us in Singapore do face them, some with ease, some with much prolonged difficulty. So, at the end of my research and thinking, I remembered my significant other once told me "Stressed and unhappy about a problem that you can't solve? Just leave it, you can't do anything anyway." Likewise, I am gonna leave it at that.
So, Are Singaporeans happiest in Asia? I do not know the answer to it, yet I for one am smiling because if I cannot do anything to change the happiness, I can at least spread my smiling face to those around me!
Smile!
Credits to:
http://www.wallpaperfo.com/Car/Luxury/cars_luxury_sport_cars_attila_three_1366x908_wallpaper_47675
http://www.edenstrategyinstitute.com/happy
http://www.singapolitics.sg/features/happiness-singapore-style
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/singapore/housing_type_singapore/125/condominiums.php
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-drug-stethoscope-image9168032
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