If I had things going my way, perhaps I would like to be a professional basketball player. But by 25, I started to realise I am not talented enough and I guess that was when my degree kicked in to get a real job.
When I was taking my "A" levels Chinese Oral exams at age 18, I was asked in Mandarin about careers and profession. I quoted this Chinese proverb "行行出状元"(Hang Hang Chu Zhuan Yuan) - It means that every trade has its master or scholar. And the resulting rebuttal from the invigilator/teacher was- what if you are a road sweeper?
That was 18 years ago and perhaps the beginning of our society's decline. Our teachers or perhaps it was our education system inculcating in all of our minds, that we have to study hard, or risk being a cleaner/road sweeper or other job which no one wants to do such as a bus driver.
No one should look down on anyone making an honest living, no matter how menial. Instead, we should adopt a more egalitarian approach to provide all our workers, be it local or foreign, with a fair, living minimum wage, so they are not under the constant stress of not providing enough for their families.
Besides the matter of monetary earnings, let's talk about self realisation. Pay, specifically, should not be the presumptive measure of self worth and job worth. Singaporeans tend to look down on blue collared workers and strive all their lives to study/work towards a high paying job in the finance sector or become a professional such as a doctor or a lawyer. Because everyone knows that these jobs are often commensurate many times over their value as our society has build up over the years. Why does a local bus driver get paid S$1500/month compared to a bus driver in Australia who earns easily 3 times more? How about doctors in Australia making about AUD$60-400k based on seniority with a tax rate from 19 - 45% compared to Singapore's doctors who are known to make a lot more with the sky being the limit and with a tax rate capped at only 20%. This income inequality is well known throughout as Singapore has one of the most skewed GINI coefficient in the world.
Check out this video of Dr Richard Teo who passed away last year from lung cancer and left behind a video talking about the endless pursuit for money and not happiness.
Mr Laurence Lien, our NMP MP who stepped down from a Administrative Service in the Singapore Government (whom we all know is a very "rewarding" career) to join the non-profit sector and he wrote a very thought-provoking piece of article. And below is a quote from him.
Research tells us that happiness is found in healthy relationships, in loving and being loved; in doing things we are passionate about; in being creative; and in having fewer wants and being contented and thankful for what we have. Instead, many of us chase after careers for their financial rewards and status. We have no work-life balance. We want more and more, and end up less and less satisfied. We suffer burnout, disillusionment and broken relationships as a result.So if I have the chance, would I still want to be an engineer or a basketball player? Well not that engineering is a high paying job but the hours are long. I knew I would never turn pro basketball and my knees would have given way by now. But I never regretted becoming an engineer - I chose the path, I chose the jobs and I chose my life. And I hope everyone knows why they are doing what they are doing now, and love their jobs passionately and not bemoan that it is another day of dragging my feet to work. We all are free to make our own choices.
My only regret would have been, that if I was a basketball player - perhaps my heart would be a little bit stronger now and not needing an angiogram so soon in life.
