Those born and raised in Singapore may be all too familiar with the hustle culture and lifestyle here. We may complain about working endlessly to friends but still return to the grind when the new work day begins.
But recently, Facebook page Vigilanteh addressed the matter in a viral post that seemed to set many people thinking.
In the post, the admin questioned the Singaporean way of life and encouraged young people to create their own adventures.
In their Facebook post on 10 Sep, Vigilanteh posted their musings about the way of life in Singapore as most of us know it.
They raised the example of a typical Singaporean path of undergoing the local education system before working a nine-to-five job.
Per the natural course of events, an individual on that path will then buy a house, a car and “go on vacation twice a year” thanks to the 14 days of leave.
Thus, life consists of working and putting in the hours to get a promotion.
The only respite consists of watching television in the evenings, treating yourself to a nice dinner on the weekend, and exercising.
After which, “the cycle repeats” into old age, said Vigilanteh.
The admin then wondered what Singaporeans will tell their children when asked about their youth.
What is your response? That 3/4 of your life was spent in the office? That you remembered a nice vacation you went to?
Following this, they asked readers to reflect on the meaning of a full life and if the stories they tell will reflect this.
The admin proceeded to remind readers that they can never get back their youth.
“So go ahead, explore. Be broke. Do something illegal. Work menial jobs. Burn all your savings and rebuild your life all over again,” they urged.
To them, that’ll be “a chapter worth writing”. They concluded by implying that people who work hard to own a condo may have lost their souls to the grind while those who live comfortably in humbler homes have more exciting stories to tell.
Better stories were told in a 1-room flat than a condo with no souls.
At the time of writing, the Facebook post had about 1,000 shares and over 260 comments.
Some shared their experiences of taking the leap of faith and breaking the cycle. One commenter said that they did so despite the uncertainties and risks.
As a result, they had more time with their kids and even travelled the world.
“Time…once gone will never come back,” they said.
In response to the post, others reflected on what story they think is important to tell. For one commenter, it’s for their children to know that they are loved.
Meanwhile, Vigilanteh made a separate comment stating that there’s nothing wrong with a routine and uneventful lifestyle.
They only urge people to take a couple of years off to do something different.
“Lock in that chapter,” they said.
Also read: NTU Student Completes 8 Internships In 4.5 Years, Earned S$5,700 As A Computer Engineering Intern
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Featured image adapted from Colliers, for illustration purposes only and Vigilanteh on Facebook.
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