Category Archives: Social Issues

Why Singapore needs more Designated Smoking Areas

Posted on May 11, 2012 by visa

I stepped outside of Changi City Point Mall earlier today and I noticed a bunch of smokers around the fringes- near the carpark, near the perimeter, near the outer limits. This strikes me as socially undesirable. It’s sub-optimal for the … Continue reading →

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Swarm Intelligence and God: How we are already are a part of something greater than ourselves.

Posted on May 2, 2012 by visa

Have you ever observed an ant colony, and noticed that there appears to be a greater intelligence guiding the ants’ collective behaviour? Each individual ant is relatively clueless about what it’s doing, but it serves a role in something greater … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Social Issues, Systems | 2 Comments

Variation and Selection: A Darwinian Approach To Relationship Success

Posted on April 4, 2012 by visa

(A lot of people misunderstand natural selection. Mutations in nature are random and undirected. Human variation, on the other hand, is often directed.) I was talking to my girlfriend earlier, and she quizzed me about the relevance of my fanaticism … Continue reading →

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Why does altruism exist?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by visa

Here’s my shaky hypothesis, which I put together from many casual (and possibly flawed) readings of several different sources: Before we begin to understand altruism, which I define as an impulse beyond our conscious control, we have to first understand … Continue reading →

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Gayle Goh, on Immigration and Xenophobia (2009)

Posted on December 23, 2011 by visa

(Emphasis mine! -Visa) Singaporeans have often been accused of not having a heart for home. The identity angst of our young nation-state has manifested itself variously in aspects such as high emigration statistics and cultural dialogue. “Singapore you are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Singapore, Social Issues | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Do We Owe Our Existence To The People’s Action Party? By Gayle Goh [2006]

Posted on December 23, 2011 by visa

(Emphasis mine. – Visa) “We have been hardwired since young to be grateful in everything to the People’s Action Party. We have been conditioned to accept the abrogation of our democratic freedoms as a necessary inconvenience for the sake of … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Singapore, Social Issues | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What The Modern Woman Wants, by Amanda Chong [2004]

Posted on December 23, 2011 by visa

The old woman sat in the backseat of the magenta convertible as it careened down the highway, clutching tightly to the plastic bag on her lap, afraid it may be kidnapped by the wind. She was not used to such … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspiration, Singapore, Social Issues | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The 3 Practical Things We Need To Teach Our Kids

Posted on November 7, 2011 by visa

We need to teach kids Operacy- that is, how to function effectively, how to operate as a human being. Bodily functions are rarely a problem. Cognitive functions are a lot more difficult to handle, perhaps because most of us aren’t … Continue reading →

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further thoughts about Singapore’s education system

Posted on November 5, 2011 by visa

The first thing that comes to mind about my experience with public education in Singapore is the stratification- it wasn’t obvious to me then, but it kind of sticks out now. We have labels and classes- Special, Express, Normal. “Gifted.” … Continue reading →

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is the human race fucked beyond measure?

Posted on September 26, 2011 by visa

I always feel that desiring power shouldn’t have to be mutually exclusive with making the world a better place. Everyone wants a bigger piece of the pie, but the best way to do that is to help expand the pie … Continue reading →

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