Singapore, a nation of '75 percenters' ...

[Way2GO]

Trapwithin:

In the old days, \"situation make heroes\" (Shi Si zhao Yin Siong).
Now with the level of comfort and convenience plus the good standard of living, it will be harder.

Well, Shi Si can zhao Yin Siong again.
I think u all r brainwashed dat we hv a good std of living
me think living was easier n it is getter harder for many.

[Sun_2010]

Tht I will post my teacher told a long time ago, i searched it out from the net now. Its something I as a parent try keep in mind and seems appropriate here


The Metamorphosis
Once a little boy was playing outdoors and found a fascinating caterpillar. He carefully picked it up and took it home to show his mother. He asked his mother if he could keep it, and she said he could if he would take good care of it.

The little boy got a large jar from his mother and put plants to eat, and a stick to climb on, in the jar. Every day he watched the caterpillar and brought it new plants to eat.

One day the caterpillar climbed up the stick and started acting strangely. The boy worriedly called his mother who came and understood that the caterpillar was creating a cocoon. The mother explained to the boy how the caterpillar was going to go through a metamorphosis and become a butterfly.

The little boy was thrilled to hear about the changes his caterpillar would go through. He watched every day, waiting for the butterfly to emerge. One day it happened, a small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle to come out.

At first the boy was excited, but soon he became concerned. The butterfly was struggling so hard to get out! It looked like it couldn’t break free! It looked desperate! It looked like it was making no progress!

The boy was so concerned he decided to help. He ran to get scissors, and then walked back (because he had learned not to run with scissors…). He snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger and the butterfly quickly emerged!

As the butterfly came out the boy was surprised. It had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, enlarge and expand to support the swollen body. He knew that in time the body would shrink and the butterfly’s wings would expand.

But neither happened!

The butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly…

As the boy tried to figure out what had gone wrong his teacher explained that the butterfly was SUPPOSED to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly. The boy’s good intentions hurt the butterfly.

As you go through school, and life, keep in mind that struggling is an important part of any growth experience. In fact, it is the struggle that causes you to develop your ability to fly.

[Way2GO]

Sun_2010:

The Metamorphosis
[color=darkblue]

wat a nice story.
gonna let my boys read it.

[Trapwithin]

Way2GO:

Trapwithin:

In the old days, \"situation make heroes\" (Shi Si zhao Yin Siong).
Now with the level of comfort and convenience plus the good standard of living, it will be harder.

Well, Shi Si can zhao Yin Siong again.
I think u all r brainwashed dat we hv a good std of living
me think living was easier n it is getter harder for many.

Hee hee .. I mean comfort level compare to the olden days.
The Shi Si now slightly different
or maybe ... like you said .. totally brainwashed and become :siao: liao

[Trapwithin]

Sun_2010:

The Metamorphosis

[color=darkblue]

Good story. Hardness produce patience and build character. :goodpost:

[Way2GO]

d moral of ur story is: struggle to develop/progress?


So wat if d boy had brought his pet bird instead
of his scissors to d cocoon?
No more struggle n a happy bird?
:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

[Way2GO]

Trapwithin:

Hee hee .. I mean comfort level compare to the olden days.
The Shi Si now slightly different
or maybe ... like you said .. totally brainwashed and become :siao: liao

Comfort level improved - I agree.
Std of living - IMHO, no.

[art_n_i]

Way2GO:

art_n_i:

Success certainly contingents on several supporting factors.
Success is definitely not easy, taking the first step even harder for many because of difficulty of success.

yea yea
take heart in d saying
- a journey of a thousnad miles begin with d first step -

Good luck in ur endeavcours. :celebrate:

Thank you! :celebrate:

Actually, as a company we are re-crossing the chasm, each time we get comfortable, we start to become restless and emerge with new ideas that build on our existing model......so in a way we are continuously challenging ourselves for organic growth. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Btw, we also believe in the butterfly story, it's struggle that makes us grow by leaps and bounds.

[art_n_i]

Way2GO:

Comfort level improved - I agree.
Std of living - IMHO, no.

I agree. :celebrate:

[3Boys]

After reading 5 pages of posts, I have no clue what the griping is about. Is it too much g’ment or too little g’ment? Or is it really, as vks puts it, the ‘soft-bellyed’ Singaporean who has been coddled to death.


My view, the g’ment is a victim of its own success, created a griping, navel gazing generation who use public policy as a crutch, and blame the g’ment like spoilt brats when their toys get taken away by someone else more deserving.

Cream rises to the top, whatever the environment. If one were a truly exceptional talent, he would flourish anywhere, and Singapore, with all the basic amenities in place, opportunity for diversified education and social security, is as good as any other country, and better than most. If one has not succeeded here, then I’d suggest one take a look inside before blaming externalities.