We live in a city full of materialism but lacking in soul

April 28, 2007
We live in a city full of materialism but lacking in soul

THE stock market is reaching a new high, new apartments in prestigious locations are hitting psf prices that border on the ridiculous, en bloc fever has seized our small but prosperous country in a proportion that is unseen before and people are buying new cars as if there is no tomorrow. Our country has indeed outgrown our expectations.

I have also lately seen siblings taking each other and even their own parents to court over some property-sale dispute. Kinship is sacrificed for the many millions that are at stake. It seems blood ties are worthless. Is it worth it?

Our society is riding high on the cash cow of materialism. Starting salaries of young graduates are re-adjusted and our civil servants/ministers are getting higher incomes. People work harder for their promotion and I have seen department heads as young as 27 or 28 years old.

Singapore is indeed a land of opportunities and no wonder we see long queues of foreigners wanting to work and settle down here. We have become the New York of the East. We have arrived, or have we?

Yet I see a city lacking in soul. There is an empty shell that people hide in with their degrees, work achievements and expensive purchases. The exterior seems posh and attractive but deep inside there is ugliness and a sense of disenchantment.

Many feel lonely and have no one to share their riches with as they themselves have no time for relationships. Work becomes their solitary pursuit and meaning for existence.

Divorces are ever increasing year by year as people do not see the value of giving in and valuing love commitment in a relationship. There is also no time for such a commitment as time spent may not translate into any tangible return for either party.

We often measure friendship or even marriage on whether the opposite party can provide some form of return. That is why many find it difficult to ask their friends out when the chips are down.

People here want to mix with the successful and the attractive. If you are down and out you are often left alone. What a shame!

Even in MRT trains, our population needs to be reminded to give up seats for the aged and pregnant women.

Our domestic maids are routinely abused during their work assignments. This is a sign of a graceless society lacking in simple gracious acts. We seem to have a long way to go here.

As the country continues to prosper and mature, let us give some thought to how we can improve the software of our people. As we frantically work and pursue materialistism, I find that many of us have lost our soul which gives us the meaning of our existence. For if we live life without any meaning, we are better off not living at all.

Gilbert Goh Keow Wah

------------------------------------

not written by me, but i think i could have written something better.. LOL.. then again.. he does deliver interesting point of views.