'Singapore used to be a community, but now, it’s just a corporation,' says Redditor

SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user wrote in an Aug 16 (Sunday) post that as Singapore has become more and more prosperous over the years, it has come at the cost of community and putting others above oneself.

In their r/singapore post, u/Dhandsrhardtotypewif stated that selfishness would be the theme of Singapore news headlines for the next 10 years, if last weekend’s news, such as the incident where a man confronted a hawker and the Maju rally, are any indication.

Current social issues may be boiled down to this, the post author wrote: “Everyone only cares about one thing and one thing only. Self-interest. Me vs you.”

For example, non-homeowners believe housing should be cheap, but homeowners who want to sell their property may feel otherwise. Parents may think that Singapore isn’t child-friendly enough, but childless people may demand child-free spaces and believe that parents are too entitled already.

“High-pressure environments definitely produce diamonds from coal, but the yield isn’t 100%. Many people fall through the cracks. And now the cracks are showing. Global competition, increasing population density, higher prices, lower morale,” they wrote.

The post author looked back to the 90s, when they grew up, as a time when people were less selfish.

“No one called the police on us when we played block catching. Void deck soccer, despite it being dangerous, was okay because the elderly understood kids will be kids and they just walk further away from the void deck, sometimes not even under the shelter,” they added.

They also encouraged everyone to find their tribe as soon as possible, believing that things will only get harder from here on out. 

"Singapore used to be a community. But now, it’s just a corporation,” they wrote, adding that while unpleasant people thrive, those who are kind, the people whom they described as “the cornerstone of community,” are taken advantage of.

The post author is not alone in feeling the way they do, and a 2024 article in Fortune called the present time an “age of selfishness.” The world has gotten more challenging in recent years, with economic pressures mounting, and tensions across the globe making people feel no small degree of fear.

The current digital culture may also contribute to the increase in selfish behaviour, together with stress and the shift toward individualism, perhaps especially in more developed countries.

Nevertheless, Reddit users who commented on the post, while not disagreeing with u/Dhandsrhardtotypewif, encouraged them to do their part in helping society become more community-minded.

A commenter who regularly organises soup kitchens invited the post author to join him and his fellow volunteers.

"It is a safe space that is just meant to connect people through food. There is no agenda aside from letting people have a good time. (I have a food hygiene certification and I handle food with care) Let me know! Can always use extra help. I post them on my ig breakingbreadwithbang,” they wrote.

“Try your best to contribute something to the community, even if in your own way/your own portion of it… You don’t need to help the whole of Singapore, just those you know and those around you. Spread the love, which helps far more than b****ing about the lack of it on social media. Take the first step so others can follow in yours,” added another.

One chimed in to say, however, that “[s]elfishness isn't a new thing for Singapore. And the 1990s Mr Kiasu comics satirised this too. First book was literally titled Everything Also I Want.” /TISG

Read also: After man hosts meal at void deck, Singaporeans praise him for ‘restoring kampung spirit’