Vitamin E, Youths & Singapore
Last Sunday (13 March 2011), I was invited as a panelist for an Aljunied GRC & Serangoon SMC PAYM Policy Forum, jointly with Minister Lim Hwee Hua and Ms Lina Chong, Chairperson of PAYM Central Youth Council. The topic was "Voices of Singapore's Youth --- Building Singapore's Future".
As many of you know, I usually speak with just 1-slide. I had 3 main points in the 10 mins shared. They are:
One, it is important to not feel that "your best work cannot be done in your youth. Indeed they can, and many youths have done it. Some youths have done it again & again". Here are some examples. When Paul Simon (of Simon & Garfunkel) wrote "The Sounds of Silence", he was only 23. When he wrote "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", he was but 29. When Bill Gates founded Microsoft in 1975, he was all of 20. When Google was founded in 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were both 25.
Two, youths, because of the way the world is now, and the way they grew up & were brought up, and the lens thru' which they see the world, youths need more "Vitamin E" to thrive. What is "Vitamin E"? It is any and all of the following E words: Environment, Energy, Excitement, Enthusiasm, Empowerment, Engagement, etc. Youths of today are not just looking to "live, work & play" (old paradigm), they are also looking for, working towards, and having dreams to "live their best life, build their best home, and do their best work" (new paradigm). In essence, youths want to thrive, achieve & flourish, in addition to "work, live & play".
Three, > 60 percent of the world's problems will be solved by people < 30. It is therefore fundamental that youths have (i) high psychological capital (hope, optimism, resiliency, self-efficacy), (ii) passion, and (iii) a different way of thinking and not be locked in to the current modes & paradigms of thinking which exist today (Very much like what Einstein means when he said "The problems of today cannot be solved by the same kind of thinking which created them"). Youths in Singapore need to avoid "learnt helplessness", exhibit a greater sense of "heroic action" and demonstrate & work towards stronger social capital (citizen helping citizen). Youths should think about how they can produce their very best work and assist Singapore to grow, progress & thrive in Craft of State, Art of Society & Science of Economy. Finally they should each nurture & nourish their own version of their "Singapore Dream", work hard & steadily towards achieving them, and if these are "kueh lapis" Singapore Dreams with at least 2 layers --- one for self & loved ones, and another for Singapore & Singaporeans, that will be best!
