"Kiasu" is it good or bad

What is "kiasu"? I first learned the word "kiasu" when I came to Singapore 2 months ago. It is a popular Hokkien word which means that people are afraid of losing to others.

Now, "kiasu" has its good points and bad points. I believe that being "kiasu" is bad in excessive amount for anyone. For example, if a parent is overly "kiasu", the parent will tend to exert pressure on the child to work extremely hard and set high expectations. So the poor child will be under tremendous stress. If the child if unable to meet the expectations of his or her parents, he or she will become very depressed and, in extreme cases, may even commit suicide as he or she may think that it is the only way to get out of her misery, as is the case in the story of "Adeline Ng Ai Choo".

On the other hand, a heathy dose of "kiasu-ism" does have its own merits. Imagine a student who is "kiasu", he or she will strive to acheive his or her goals and study very hard. one may ask? What if everyone is "kiasu", won't everybody be striving to become better and there will be no lazy people in the country? Hence, the whole nation will become more competetive as a whole. May be that is why Singapore developed at such an incredible speed that She will soon surpass almost every country in the entire world.

So, if I were to decide whether "kiasu" is good or bad, I would say that it is neutral and it depends on the dosage and application.

What do you think? If you have an opinion on this subject, please share with us.
For the time being, interestingly I am learning more new Singaporean "kia"-phrases like : "kiasi"(afraid to die, afraid to make mistake; cowardice), "kiam-siap"(stingy) and "kiabo"(afraid of wife)

Review of Aristotle's quote:What lies in our power to do, lies in our power not to do

I agree with Aristotle's view that"What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." in reference to the story of "Adeline Ng Ai Choo" in the book entitled "Little Ironies ~Stories of Singapore" by Catherine Lim.

I will be using two elements of Paul's wheel of reasoning in this discussion to support the quotation.These two elements are evidence/data and implications/consequences.

To begin, I am using evidence to support Aristotle’s view that "What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do."Evidence such as the note by Adeline to her parents and her diary stated that her parents had expectations which were too high for her standard. Therefore she received tremendous stress which she was unable to manage.

Secondly,the class teacher noticed Adeline's sudden change and tried to helpbutdid not take additional precautions to prevent the tragic incidence.

To continue,in addition to the use of evidence, I would agree that "What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do." by using the consequences from Paul’s Wheel of Reasoning.

Firstly,her parents had the power to give her less stress by recognizing her limits and set their expectations accordingly but they didn't.thereby, resulting in the lost of their daughter.

Secondly,the subject teacher is also responsible because she had the power to give her a passing grade but she didn't. Even the class teacher is involved because the class teacher could have found out what was worrying Adeline but the class teacher didn't do it.Thereby, resulting in the lost of their student and it is very sad thing to loss a student due to an academic cause.

In conclusion, by using evidence and consequences for the above examples, I agree with Aristoltle that "What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do".

Thank you for your reading.Have a pleasant day.

Quote of The Week

1. If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less of uncharitableness and angry feeling.
2. Self discipline is that which, next to virtue, truly and essentially raises one man above another.
3. What an absurd thing it is to pass over all the valuable parts of a man, and fix our attention on his infirmities.
4. The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.
5. Sweet are the slumbers of the virtuous man.
6. The friendships of the world are oft confederacies in vice, or leagues of pleasures
7. He who would pass his declining years with honor and comfort, should, when young, consider that he may one day become old, and remember when he is old, that he has once been young

-Joseph Addison -

Quotes of the week

1.“I am easily satisfied with the very best.”

2.“Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."

3.“We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out”

4.“The price of greatness is responsibility.”

5.“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it”

6.“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

7.“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential”

-Winston Churchill-