the mnimum

The Good Life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:32:00 +0000

This article seeks to redefine the Good Life in the context of Singapore.

“In Singapore, people’s interests are very narrow, they sort of just want to go to work, go back home and spend Sundays with their family and raise a family … [One of the] frustrations about living in Singapore is finding people with a real passion for things which don’t involve money or shopping or eating.” - Tan Hwee Hwee

Epicurus divided man’s needs into primary physiological needs of food, shelter and clothing, as well as secondary psychological and emotional needs of safety, liberty and love. Singaporeans go beyond these basic needs. We occupy ourselves with earning and spending more money in a country where the “5 C’s”[1] reflects the still widely held opinion that material accumulation is the surest emblem of success.[2] Social status is still commonly thought to be attained through one’s conspicuous consumption of goods and services – think shiny new cars, designer bags, expensive wristwatches, hyped-up restaurants and luxury holiday resorts. With consumerism as its religion and pointless one-upmanship as its sport, Singapore has quickly become a society that knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.

The Good Life is simple

"With respect to luxuries and comforts the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meager life than the poor. Man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can do without." - Henry David Thoreau

When we have enough to eat, live, and dress in reasonable comfort, more material wealth should become less important – more financial security does not lead to greater inner security. We need to reevaluate the true value of our possessions. We should consider living simply, and carefully allocate our excess time and money towards our communities and families, our health and our leisure. Enhancing these aspects of our lives will improve our quality of life, rather than merely increase our quantity of possessions. As it is, Singapore is an excellent place to lead a simple life[3], as it provides relatively decent standards in housing, education, healthcare, transport and safety that grant comfort and dignity to an ordinary citizen. Doing away with the unnecessary will give our lives a lightness that allows us to focus on what is truly important to us.

The Good Life requires self-actualization

“"The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realization of the world in which we live." - Bertrand Russell

Yet, fulfilling Epicurus’ primary and secondary needs will only result in the pleasant life. Attaining the Good Life is about self-actualization, where each person uses his unique talents to contribute to the good of the community in ways which are meaningful to him and significant to the community. When a person “exercises his faculties fully for the fullest realization of the world”, he is unconsciously engaged while being gratified with a higher level of fulfillment and enjoyment. We should enjoy each step of our journey (ie. what we do on a daily basis), while believing that the destination we plan to reach is meaningful to ourselves and the community. Deciding on what is meaningful to us will force us to focus on our true values and desires, and help us edit out the superfluous from our lives.

The Good Life is socially engaged

“Each of them, living apart, as is a stranger to the fate of the rest, his children and his private friends constitute to him the whole of mankind. As for the rest of his fellow citizens, he is close to them but he does not see them, he touches them but he does not feel them." - Alexis de Tocqueville [4]

Singapore faces a dearth of social capital, where social and community life have both been significantly diminished.[5] We pay less attention to broader interests outside of ourselves, our work and our immediate social circles. We have less trust in and concern for our fellow citizens - few take an active interest in public affairs, while the rest are content to throw bricks via Facebook posts and Tweets. To build up social capital, we need to volunteer and participate in person within actual political and civic organizations that nurture specific community interests while tolerating opposing or minority views.[6] The country will then slowly develop healthy and productive communities, cohesive and cooperative neighborhoods, and develop a social infrastructure for all citizens to collaborate on solutions to present and future problems.

Conclusion

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

This essay is not meant to criticize but to suggest that it is better to stand up, not sit back; to be involved, not indifferent; and to be an agent of change, not cynicism. As Roosevelt points out, the critic simply does not count. Neither does he play a part in the Good Life – he is merely a “cold and timid soul who neither knows victory nor defeat”.

A life of simplicity, self-actualization and social engagement arises out of conscious choices that one makes. In short, the Good Life is available to anyone who chooses to seek it.

[1] Representing cash, credit cards, a car, a condominium, and a country club membership.

[2] Fernandez, Warren. Thinking Allowed?

[3] “A little extra ordinary,” Alain de Botton, FT Weekend Travel, Dec 18, 2004.

[4] Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 510

[5] Rappa, Antonio. Modernity and Consumption.

[6] Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam

Seneca

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:42:00 +0000

"It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more."

Quote

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:50:00 +0000

"The best things in the world are not things."

Haruki Murakami

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:49:00 +0000

"Presently our steaks and salads arrived. Beautiful steaks. Magazine-perfect medium rare. Gotanda dug in with gusto. His table manners were less than finishing-school polished, but he did have a casual ease that made him an ideal dining companion. Everything he ate looked appetizing. He was charming. He had a grace you don't encounter every day. A woman would be snowed."

Jeffrey Hart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:36:00 +0000

"Less is more. Zero is a triumph."

Business wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Grey suit
Navy suit
10 dress shirts
10 ties
Black alligator belt
Silver knot cufflinks
Rolex Oyster date
Black cap-toe oxfords
Over the calf socks
Brass collar stays

Urban village

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:10:00 +0000

Human-scale buildings
Walkable neighborhood
Japanese restaurant
Florist
Wine shop
Newsstand
Bicycle rack
Independent convenience store
Post office
Full service laundry

Work ethic

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Arrive early
Sit straight
Dress well, shined shoes
Smile when it's hell
Confident and warm
Relaxed but energetic
Articulate
Intensity masked by unruffled calm
Scorching ambition
Total commitment and teamwork

Travel packing list

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Carry-on only. Avoid waiting for or losing luggage
Discreet bag (50"L x 20"W x 30"H). Sufficient for 3 days. Or 3 months
Wear suit onboard, have attendant hang up suit jacket
2 x shirts, 1 x pants, 1 x sweater. 2 x socks, 2 x briefs, 2 x ties
Keep Thinkpad accessible for security screening
iPhone, Blackberry, digital camera, USB drive, socket converter, requisite cables
Namecards, post-its, 2 x ballpoint pens
Toiletries in small, refillable Muji bottles, aspirin, eyedrops, band-aids
Black T-shirt, navy gym shorts, Nike Zoom running shoes
Eyemask, small Yale padlocks, collapsible LL Bean tote, compact umbrella

College dining hall

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Cheerios and apple jacks
Bacon and scrambled eggs
Sausage muffin sandwich
Corned beef hash
Waffles with chocolate syrup
Spaghetti with meatballs
Turkey breast sandwich with pickles
Chickwich, popcorn chicken and tater tots
Hot dogs and buffalo wings
Beef fajitas

Cars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Fiat 500 (original)
Volkswagen Golf (Mk IV)
Subaru Forester (pre-2007)
Mercedes C-Class (pre-2001)
Mazda MX5 (NA)
Mercedes 200 (W123)
Saab 900 (Canary yellow)
Alfa Spider (Series 1-4)
Any Landrover
Audi A4 (pre-2006)

Rigorously black or red
Practical and low-key

Manners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Be polite
Don't curse or lose temper
Hello my name is _____
Stand when ladies leave
Open doors
Help with packages and seats
Excuse me
Pardon me
Tip discreetly and well
How are you this evening

Essential

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Have little but have exactly the right thing
Have less but treasure more
Remove desire for non-essential
Things lose uniqueness but add to clutter
Rent or borrow things that are rarely used

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:04:00 +0000

"Simplicity in character, in manners, in style; in all things the supreme excellence is simplicity."

35 years old

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:04:00 +0000

Lovely wife
House with a garden
Excellent housekeeper/cook
Pet dog
No debt
4 day weeks/ 30 hr weeks
2 week holidays 3 times a year
Daily swim and run
Friends in business and the arts
Smart conversation

Death

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:04:00 +0000

Be ready to die each day - finish what you set out to do
We all die, there's nothing to lose so do what you love
Love what you do or you're dead
Memento mori - remember you will die
If today were the last day of my life, would I do the same thing?

Weekdays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:03:00 +0000

12am-6am Sleep
6am-7am Workout
7am-8am Shower, breakfast
8am-9am Bus to work, read paper
9am-7pm Work, lunch, work
7pm-9pm Dinner with work associates / friends / family
9pm-12pm Read, think, reflect

Do not be over-absorbed in work. Seek balance, not money
Develop transferable skills, aim for next promotion
Be smart, hardworking, principled, a team-player

Leonardo da Vinci

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:53:00 +0000

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."