Thursday, December 01, 2011
I just started (finally) on LKY's hard truths and it's an amazing experience reading it after 1 sem of uni and political science. Because I'm able to understand what he's trying to say better after learning the concepts, and able to see them in a real context.
And after reading, I start to realize more and more how difficult it is to be a good journalist. And I'm so far from being a zai journalist. You must be able to think of critical questions and handle all sorts of responses. Not to forget being able to write articles with depth. It's more than just reporting events, because media has the responsible and ability to shape soceity's opinions and views.
Commentaries are really very important. Imagine news with only facts and hard news without analysis and opinions. People might just take it at face value and not see the bigger implications, especially when not everyone is skilled at everything. Media can tap on resources to bring such expertise and share with everyone. New are just the basis to form analysis of society to gain greater insights.
I need to learn how to think more and formulate my own thoughts and opinions on issues and people. Sometimes I feel like I want to study lots of modules in uni because they are very useful in helping you understand the world. With every bit of knowledge gain, we will feel like we have matured and understand this world a bit more. There's so much more things to know but I will strive hard to be like one of those zai journalists helping younger colleagues along the way (:
Was talking to evelyn that day, and I had this important enlightenment! Many times I realized that when we want to to find a justification of doing something, we will need to link it to some material goal to justify it as a good enough reason. When I was studying for SS, I kept questioning why does Singapore want us to link back to our cultural roots. What can Singapore gain from it? Like how we will feel more attached and feel a sense of belonging so we would not move away from Singapore as easily? Or to retain our traditions and values? I kept thinking the retaining of traditions is not a good enough ultimate reason because how will Singapore benefit from it? Then I realized, why must it be a material, tangible benefit as the goal? Why can't it be solely because they want us to keep our values? Although I still think the (practical) government wont settle for anything less than a practical reason, but as individuals we can do it! Thinking is not a means to an ends, but an end to itself. Who say arts is meaningless haha! Please don't fall into the trap that we are shaped from young that all 'good'goals are tangible ones.
After reading first chapter of hard truths, I realized how practical he is. Probably government needs to be super practical because it needs to ensure the survival of the many people and allows no room for failure. Because they are working on a macro level so lots of things are at stake. But as individuals, I believe we have the room to be not so practical at all times, but do things based on how you believe it should be and how you want it to be. Because we are responsible for our own lives and we write the own script of our lives. According to LKY, to ensure the security of Singapore, we need to have a strong military. To have strong military power, we need to have strong economy to provide for that. To have a strong economy, we need to make good use of our human resource, which means they need to squeeze as much tangible benefits as they can from us. It makes sense, but intangible things shouldn't be neglected too. Probably as individuals, we need to build up our own values and beliefs, instead of blindly following how we are supposed to be. So that we can learn how to strike a balance between practical concerns that ultimately affect the country as a whole, and also moral concerns that affect society and our own lives. Both are important, but different groups of people are tasked to achieve each of these goals. That's why the government has their role to play, and religion also has theirs. Education fulfils both, I believe.
Life is all about balancing, there's no clear right and wrong. Sometimes I feel irritated because I just want the easy way out by giving me the 'correct' answer where I'll just follow and accept, but life's not like that and that's where the uncertainty makes it interesting and amazing all the more.
Can I fly over the rainbow like the bluebirds?
12/01/2011 11:14:00 PM
