Yes, No Nos

No, you cannot do this.

No, you can’t do that.

If there is one thing that irks me most about this country is how people’s default answer to things is “No”. It’s in our minds and it’s all around us too. The signs in this city that proscribe you from doing things, the rules and regulations, the forms, the licenses, the permissions…

The psyche of this city and how it works is such that we are a bunch that need to be reminded and disciplined to be good, if not, we’ll be bad.

Some people think I’m too idealistic, that I’ll never make it big.

They’re assuming I want to make it big — like them.

But all I want to do is to work on what I love and make a difference to the people around me. That’s why I’m thankful to have been lucky to have met so many encouraging people of late. Talking to them only keeps me going in this journey to do what I love.

I’ve met so many people who have given up on what they believe because they’ve been discouraged too many times.

And that’s why things never happen in this country.

No, it’s not because we don’t want to do it.

No, it’s not because we don’t know how to do it

Yes, it’s because we say no.

3 comments

  1. James says:

    Oddly, many Sg tend to view themselves as the yes-man(woman).

    It probably is more of a case of just doing what has always been done… Be it saying yes/no.

    Don’t ever let others get you down dude. someday, one way… u’ll make a difference. Its the small little things in life that matters.

  2. Mavis says:

    this reminds me of my com206 (visual literacy) photo montage assignment for which i went around shooting images of these “no smoking” etc signs. i actually got ticked off for taking it at jurong point. such is the ‘fine’ culture of our country man..

    funny how i ended up here. i was browsing the seniors’ fyp sites for some guidelines. 🙂 by the way, this is a nice entry, a timely reminder as graduation draws near..

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