Kiasuism

Matt asked me what the definition of Kiasuism is. To most Singaporeans, it means a lot. Gist of it is that it refers to behaviour which focuses on one's own individual selfish needs and whch causes irritation to others. Is this term only applicable to Singaporeans or does it apply to every living organism?

Every human being has needs and wants. The distinction is how we achieve them. Do we achieve our needs and wants using methods which inconvenience others and cause them discomfort? Or do we behave in ways which is exagerrated and unnecessary? Or do we have unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others with respect to our wants and needs?

From my point of view, I reckon that when it comes to achieving our own needs and wants, we tend to do whatever necessary and sometimes even more. The question is do we know when and where to draw our line of rationality.

So far, just because Singapore is the place that I have grown up in, I have seen only the "ugly" side of Singaporeans. My travel experience is not much and hence would not account for an accurate assessment of whether non-Singaporeans are kiasu or not.

Afterall, being a human being, and with the "survival of the fittest" element ingrained in us, we would somehow fight for the things that we want. So, how enlightened will we grow and evolve to be in the future?