Singaporeans are like sheep?

last SG · 2006-02-07T20:46:43+00:00

u can label me as sheep or tortises,so long i,my kids and,hopefully my kids willing to produce,grandchild(ren),can have a roof over heads, clean water to dr...

Gazelle SG

Do you agree that Singaporeans are like sheep? They are people who need to be led, easily swayed, they can't make up their own mind?

Is this the reason why Singaporeans are labelled as Kiasu and Kiasi?

iveco SG

It makes them easy prey for fascist propaganda that is founded on the commoners’ deepest fears.

jxjoox SG

Majority yes.

Minority are opposition parties members and some are Internet political dissents. Smile

FireIce SG

i dun think so

look at all the ppl and topics right here in SC!

Gazelle SG

Politics aside, i think Singaporeans here are also threating one another like one. e.g. why are singaporeans parent so worried about singlish being used on TV?
It is because singapore children are all like lamb?

CoolMyth SG

Line from I Not Stupid.

Singaporeans are like fish, "si bu kai kou!" Laughing

dragg SG

thats what i was told at an interview in hong kong more than a decade ago.

alexkusu SG

maybe cos when they stand against the 'shepherd' they get cut down?

like that 80 ish indian guy..who went against Lee..

iveco SG

John B. Jeyaratnam?

alexkusu SG

yeah..that one..homeless n bankrupt guy

coffeeortea SG

lol, this should be a fun debatable topic.

Medicated Oil SG

We are ruled by FEAR,

We live in FEAR,

We are used to FEAR,

We become FEAR ourselves.

FEAR of freedom of speech - Kana Sue

FEAR of the Law - Kana Fine

FEAR of XXX - Was initially imposed by Government, now the people are complaining and becoming a censor themselves.

FEAR of Losing - In our education system, failure is not a option. Failure was never seem as lesson learned. The failure were deem as losers.

Gedanken SG

Depending on how you look at it, Singaporeans could either be sheep or grudging team players. One key assumption of Singaporean culture is that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and a) the hammering gets pretty hard around these here parts and b) Singaporeans favour a comfort zone to playing high-risk-high-gain games. Driving this assumption is the social process that begins in school (sit down, shut up and do your homework) through working life (sit down, shut up and do your work), in which the collective almost always rules over the individual.

Is that a bad thing? Again, it's a matter of perspective. Had Singaporean culture emphasised the individual over society in the 1960's and 1970's, the economy would probably not have grown as fast as it did, if management was busy trying to gain control of the workers instead of getting down to business. On the other hand, having outgrown its NIC status, one would imagine that society needs to mature and grow into its current circumstances.

BTW, iveco, it's Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam.

Gun SG

sheeps and gazelles, what r the difference?. Read here for more @ National Geographic

coffeeortea SG

very true, the world is such a fearful place, and we fear because we are just mere mortals.

Gazelle SG

Here are some interest facts about sheep... Laughing

Some breeds of sheep exhibit a strong flocking behaviour. This was used as an example to Israelites in the Christian bible to instruct them to obey their shepherd, or master (PAP). Flocking behaviour is advantageous to non-predatory animals (Singaporean); the strongest animals fight their way to the center of the flock which offers them great protection from predators. (Like those living in Tanglin and Nassim Hill)

It can be disadvantageous when food sources (job and money) are limited and sheep are almost as prone to overgrazing a pasture as goats. (in dept)

Sheep flocking behaviour is so prevalent in some English breeds that special names apply to the different roles sheep play in a flock. One calls a sheep that roams furthest away from the others an outlier, (quiters) a term originally used to refer to someone who lives far from where they work. This sheep ventures further away (migration) from the safety of the flock to graze, due to a larger flight zone or a weakness that prevents it from obtaining enough forage (Money/Job)
when with the herd.

Another sheep, the bellwether, (the LEEs) leads the others. Traditionally this was a castrated Laughing Ram (or wether) with a bell hung off a string around its neck. The tendency to act as an outlier, bellwether or to fight for the middle of the flock stays with sheep throughout their adulthood; that is unless they have a scary experience which causes them to increase their flight zone. Sheep can become hefted to one particular pasture so they do not roam far from home (Living in comfort zone)

In George Orwell's satirical novel Animal Farm, sheep are used to represent the ignorant and uneducated masses of revolutionary Russia. The sheep are unable to be taught the subtleties of revolutionary ideology and can only be taught repetitive slogans such as "Four legs good, two legs bad" which they bleat in unison at rallies. This is due to the widespread perception that sheep lack intelligence and also their undoubted herd mentality.

Gazelle SG

sheeps??

ShutterBug SG

My point of view: reasons why we are Kiasu and Kiasi

Kiasu - because living standard is so high, must make a lot to upkeep lifestyle, support family, educate our children so they can study overseas, and enjoy the things we like.

Kiasi - because we DON'T have Freedom of Speech here, anything we say can put us in hot soup. Worse, everybody is busy making ends meet, bogged down with HDB/landed property loan to service for decades, sick old parents to look after with high medical bills, etc, hence, afraid to upset and lose everything. They have us all by our testicles - everything people own sits on state land, or are under government terms. Walk the wrong way, the floor we stand on can disappear.

Even if we have our own opinions, suggestions, objections, feedback, whatever, we rarely if ever heeded. There simply is no room for any of us to walk our own way. It's a little Goldfish Bowl here.

Singapore is small, thus easy to control. If we're the size of Malaysia, I bet we'd see a lot of dardevils doing what they think they want to do or say.

Sure there are no protests and demonstrations, that doesn't mean everyone is happy. This fact itself is dangerous.

geodome SG

At least we are all sure he's known as JB Jeyaratnam, regardless what's the J stands for. LOL...

Back to the main topic. Singaporeans are like sheep. This sucks. To ask them to even sign a petition abroad and send it to the Singapore High Commission is like asking them to talking to the wall - nobody listens. Why? Even if they are so far away from home, the sheep mentality has instilled them not to "go against" the great government.

Secondly, I have very poor impression of PSC scholars. Despite being the "elites", they refused to sign petitions, or do anything that seems anti-government. Some even quote that they should take the stand of the government, when you are asking them for their personal opinion. So much taxpayers' money being invested on their future and they can't afford independent thoughts. Some honest PSC scholars will tell you they don't want to jeopardise their career.

For instance, I approached a few PSC scholars (in UK in early 2005) to support Amnesty International for their stand against death sentence in Singapore, plus other minor human rights violation in SIngapore. Guess what they said? "Dr Chee Soo Juan is an International Fellow in Amnesty International. It will be suicidal to support Amnesty International. " OMG!!! I wish my parents are not paying tax to support the education of such "elites".

LinYu SG

baah...... what sheep?
Mr. Green