Friday, December 2, 2016

Small steps for enduring change



You want to change society, the most enduring change comes from many accumulated small steps and often in a zigzag manner. So here with has a short three minute clip with an underlying message that there are many ways to success and fulfillment beyond academic scores.

How many people realize that if there is a narrow or worse one definition of success the outcome is a short lived Singapore? What we need is an ecosystem of varied success pollinating each other and fertilizing to create and innovate. Instead of envying the few successful ones we celebrate a diversity of success. Instead of comparing and mostly coming up short we respect and enjoy each other effort and produce. When I look at the young I feel hopeful for them. They are more open-minded and happy to experiment. When I look at the old I hope unlike elsewhere they will not thwart and shortchange the young because what the late Peter Drucker warned about the tyranny of the old is now very real when you survey the ageing developed economies.

Governments and politicians by structure and habit tend to be short term and feel the pressure to achieve quick results because of the few years long electoral cycle. Therefore policy changes often take a big bang approach which is very disruptive. I hope they are able to resist such pressures but whether they can depend very much on their ability to sell their ideas. The people are always ready to buy them and we have not become mad like many electorates across the world who bought fake news, conspiracy theories and free lunches.

Nothing is permanent and it is always easy to produce a generation with no iron in them because children are not born with steel inside. They must be nurtured and taught. I am heartened by our resolve not to wilt in the face of Chinese pressure. In fact to have others try to bully or test us these are necessary to make us strong. Who is that coward who suggest we ought to be apologizing to the Chinese and Americans? Shame of you!




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