Mind... the (income) gap

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#71
(12-04-2013, 10:30 AM)camelking Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:49 AM)kichialo Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:21 AM)camelking Wrote: Maybe they are happier?
If bank balance is directly linked to Happiness in life, then perhaps Bhutan could be the saddest country in the world and Singapore, one of the happiest?
But i read a report which shows otherwise....of course, the report could be written by "poor" people..haha

Interesting, isn't it?

wahahahaha! oh my god i cannot believe you said what you said. Do u happen to be someone who wears white? Rolleyes

We will have a meaningful conversation if we don't drag politics in every damn issues. Period
By the way, i am WP supporter.

No offence. I just felt the notion of the poor is happier than the rich somehow makes it okay to be poor is twisted. I know you do not mean that, my apologies.
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#72
yes, lets not delve into politics. personally, i think its hard to be happy in s'pore if each time salary comes in, immediately it will go to house, car, card, insurance, & other family maintenance fees leaving a two or three digit bank balance.
it doesn't take much to end up rolling credit card debts or other easy cash with cut throat interest rates. and i think the absolute numbers of such group of pple aren't small at all.
this group of pple find it hard to even keep afloat let alone maintain safety cash net, much let alone investing for retirement.
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#73
(12-04-2013, 11:04 AM)kichialo Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 10:30 AM)camelking Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:49 AM)kichialo Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 09:21 AM)camelking Wrote: Maybe they are happier?
If bank balance is directly linked to Happiness in life, then perhaps Bhutan could be the saddest country in the world and Singapore, one of the happiest?
But i read a report which shows otherwise....of course, the report could be written by "poor" people..haha

Interesting, isn't it?

wahahahaha! oh my god i cannot believe you said what you said. Do u happen to be someone who wears white? Rolleyes

We will have a meaningful conversation if we don't drag politics in every damn issues. Period
By the way, i am WP supporter.

No offence. I just felt the notion of the poor is happier than the rich somehow makes it okay to be poor is twisted. I know you do not mean that, my apologies.

Don't worry. Smile

Back to the issue.
perhaps i didn't explain it clear enough.
Let me try again.
Singapore has
1)highest number of millionaires per thousand
2)one of the highest GDP in the world
3)most expensive cars
4)Properties are valued in millions

Why is Singapore one of the most unhappy place in the world?
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#74
(12-04-2013, 11:56 AM)camelking Wrote: Don't worry. Smile

Back to the issue.
perhaps i didn't explain it clear enough.
Let me try again.
Singapore has
1)highest number of millionaires per thousand
2)one of the highest GDP in the world
3)most expensive cars
4)Properties are valued in millions

Why is Singapore one of the most unhappy place in the world?

It is all about money.

So what happened to kindness, love, concern for other humans, graciousness and other desirable human traits?

All lost in the mad pursuit of $$$. No wonder the human soul is not happy.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have
taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways,
but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less,
we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and
smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We
have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but
less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more
medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too
recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too
angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too
little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We
have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our
values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate
too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years. We've
been all the way to the moon and back, but have
trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've
done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We
write more, but learn less. We plan more, but
accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to
wait. We build more computers to hold more
information, to produce more copies than ever, but we
communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,
big men and small character, steep profits and shallow
relationships. These are the days of two incomes but
more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These
are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway
morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and
pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to
kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom
window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when
technology can bring this letter to you, and a time
when you can choose either to share this insight, or
to just hit delete.


(By George Carlin)
My Value Investing Blog: http://sgmusicwhiz.blogspot.com/
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#75
singapore is a good place to make making money, everybody in here is to make money for themselves or for other people.

I think if you want to find happiness here you have to do the unconventional. Like contarian style do things that raise eyebrows. My own friend after graduate work awhile as programmer/developer then quit until now > 10 years no fixed job and he doesn't have any career aispirations or a million dollar in bank a/c either. When he needs money he temps for a while.

Some people see him shake head or say he's a bummer but I see he is content the way it is, he likes to draw and have artistic expression. I envy his carefree style but I don't envy him when he has no money. What can I say? I think Singapore is too small already can only accomodate race runner. Other country maybe my friend can be a farmer or an artist but here spore too small already maybe had we not separated with msia .....
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#76
(12-04-2013, 11:56 AM)camelking Wrote: Back to the issue.
perhaps i didn't explain it clear enough.
Let me try again.
Singapore has
1)highest number of millionaires per thousand
2)one of the highest GDP in the world
3)most expensive cars
4)Properties are valued in millions

Why is Singapore one of the most unhappy place in the world?
1) only the millionaires are happy? So the rest not so happy.
2) The high GDP does not flow down to the middle and lower income pp. So since population are made up by more middle/lower income pp, Singaporeans are unhappy.
3) Expensive cars make pp even more unhappy as those pp who like to own one are unable to while they see their neighbouring countries easily afford one. Of cos, Spore is small, no choice have to curb car population.
4) Valued in millions put middle/low income pp out of reach or in long term debt. Such people will be unhappy.

In short, only a small percentage which are the millionaires might be happy. The majority are unhappy.
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#77
My wife's ex-colleague (Indonesian Chinese PR citizen now) just share she has committed buying a $1.xx million executive flat in Bishan. Just so because her only son is studying in Raffles Sch. She commented to my wife, now she can't afford to resign anymore though she found her job stressful. She use to rent a condo in Pearl's hill and a little snob about living in HDB's estate. What about if she or her husband (touch wood) is retrenched?
So is she and her family live happier? You tell me. Maybe, who knows ?

Basically, the more materials or needs you want, the more complicated your life will be.
The more complicated your life, the more unhappier you will be.
Because almost all of us have to work hard for what we want.
Working hard is still not too bad but the politics in an office may wear you down.
And the constant fear of getting retrenchment is no joke on your mental health.
We never live life like this but we are still O. K. AND NOT TOO UNHAPPY.
Though i may gripe about Papies taking too much from the people.
HA! HA!
WB:-

1) Rule # 1, do not lose money.
2) Rule # 2, refer to # 1.
3) Not until you can manage your emotions, you can manage your money.

Truism of Investments.
A) Buying a security is buying RISK not Return
B) You can control RISK (to a certain level, hopefully only.) But definitely not the outcome of the Return.

NB:-
My signature is meant for psychoing myself. No offence to anyone. i am trying not to lose money unnecessary anymore.
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#78
(12-04-2013, 04:45 PM)Temperament Wrote: My wife's ex-colleague (Indonesian Chinese PR citizen now) just share she has committed buying a $1.xx million executive flat in Bishan. Just so because her only son is studying in Raffles Sch. She commented to my wife, now she can't afford to resign anymore though she found her job stressful. She use to rent a condo in Pearl's hill and a little snob about living in HDB's estate. What about if she or her husband (touch wood) is retrenched?
So is she and her family live happier? You tell me. Maybe, who knows ?

Isn't this stress self-inflicted?

Bishan don't have 4-room or 5-room flats meh? Cannot buy a cheaper flat in AMK and take MRT - 1 station meh? Tongue
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#79
(12-04-2013, 05:42 PM)HitandRun Wrote:
(12-04-2013, 04:45 PM)Temperament Wrote: My wife's ex-colleague (Indonesian Chinese PR citizen now) just share she has committed buying a $1.xx million executive flat in Bishan. Just so because her only son is studying in Raffles Sch. She commented to my wife, now she can't afford to resign anymore though she found her job stressful. She use to rent a condo in Pearl's hill and a little snob about living in HDB's estate. What about if she or her husband (touch wood) is retrenched?
So is she and her family live happier? You tell me. Maybe, who knows ?

Isn't this stress self-inflicted?

Bishan don't have 4-room or 5-room flats meh? Cannot buy a cheaper flat in AMK and take MRT - 1 station meh? Tongue
Self inflicted meh? Maybe her salary/savings used to be able to afford comfortably a EC. But over the years, things have gotten expensive too fast.

Maybe next 20 years when even a 3-room flat became $2 mil, you will say Bishan dont have 1 room flats meh? Cannot stay in 1 room and choose to work nearby meh?
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#80
(12-04-2013, 12:30 PM)sgd Wrote: singapore is a good place to make making money, everybody in here is to make money for themselves or for other people.

I think if you want to find happiness here you have to do the unconventional. Like contarian style do things that raise eyebrows. My own friend after graduate work awhile as programmer/developer then quit until now > 10 years no fixed job and he doesn't have any career aispirations or a million dollar in bank a/c either. When he needs money he temps for a while.

Some people see him shake head or say he's a bummer but I see he is content the way it is, he likes to draw and have artistic expression. I envy his carefree style but I don't envy him when he has no money. What can I say? I think Singapore is too small already can only accomodate race runner. Other country maybe my friend can be a farmer or an artist but here spore too small already maybe had we not separated with msia .....
i actually have thought about why some people who have "little" like him can be happy. And why some people must have a "lot" and yet still want to strive for more. Are these people really happy?
At the end the day, *earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.* Then i am comforted. No need to worry too much What about you?
WB:-

1) Rule # 1, do not lose money.
2) Rule # 2, refer to # 1.
3) Not until you can manage your emotions, you can manage your money.

Truism of Investments.
A) Buying a security is buying RISK not Return
B) You can control RISK (to a certain level, hopefully only.) But definitely not the outcome of the Return.

NB:-
My signature is meant for psychoing myself. No offence to anyone. i am trying not to lose money unnecessary anymore.
Reply


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