Coming Home

Coming home after a 2 week holiday can make you feel a bit disoriented which isn't a bad thing. First of all having forgotten your routine you perform tasks on a need to basis. You go through the huge pile of mail sieving out those which call for immediate action and in the process even jostles you out of procrastination to finish unfinished jobs. When you read the outdated newspapers you are somehow forced to pick up important world/local news only.

When you go out to do your essential grocery shopping you seem to have a new wave of awareness. I guess it is the lingering observation effect, a hangover from your overseas trip, which I kind of enjoy. It is like seeing things anew, the places that you dwell and move around in day after day, the people that you now see of whom you didn't know existed in your neighbourhood, and the behaviour and attitude of yourself and your countrymen that you come to realise more acutely.

In London, we approached one tube station only to meet with cones and tapes barring the entrance and a sign that said train service from point A to B was not in service until further notice. The locals walked away in a hurry when they saw the signboard. A guard was nonchalantly helping tourists with alternative stations and modes of public transport. You are amazed when returning home your local newspapers reported every train service disruption that occurred the day before despite the availability of standby buses for passengers to continue their journey.

Back home you now also wonder with appreciation at how well air-conded our country is after having experienced the oppressing summer heat in the London trains as well as the absence of air cond or weak ventilation in many buildings. In short yes you appreciate how comfortable Singapore can be.

As the observing energy wanes, I revert back to my usual unthinking self after a few days. Perhaps it is the routine, perhaps it is the familiarity, perhaps it is knowing the government knows best and will take care of you, or perhaps it is just in the air. Whatever it is, this oblivious and unthinking habit has to be arrested instead of waiting for the next overseas trip.

Bernake's thoughts on meritocracy

"A meritocracy is a system in which the people who are the luckiest in their health and genetic endowment; luckiest in terms of family support, encouragement, and probably, income; luckiest in their educational and career opportunities; and luckiest in so many other ways difficult to enumerate—these are the folks who reap the largest rewards. The only way for even a putative meritocracy to hope to pass ethical muster, to be considered fair, is if those who are the luckiest in all of those respects also have the greatest responsibility to work hard, to contribute to the betterment of the world, and to share their luck with others."-Bernake

Bernake's repeated use of "luck" is interesting. He includes people who are lucky enough to be genetically endowed, saying they should also "share their luck with others". Very often we hear of people who want to pay back having gained from society's support in terms of education and opportunities. Few have declared that since they were 'lucky' enough to be born clever or talented they want to repay such good fortune. In fact many who are genetically endowed and living in a system that singles them out for special nurture may regard it their birthright to special privileges. Hence they may not see the injustice of inequality. So a scholar groomed to take a path charted by his country have no qualms that he enjoys a very comfortable income simply by virtue that he is born smarter than the masses. In fact he may even feel disgruntled when faced with obstacles and feels  that he is entitled to a perfect life.

Inequality in progress arising from differences in family background is looked upon as injustice. As a result support for the disadvantaged families is deemed necessary. Inequality in progress as a result of differences in inherent intelligence, talents or good looks however seems acceptable by the masses whereby the fortunately endowed individuals are deemed to be deserving of better lives. Such being the attitude of society it is no wonder that many such fortunate individuals hardly feel the need to pay back or "share their luck". Perhaps they feel that luck is not given by others but by God to the selected few, hence they don't owe anyone.

I think Bernake's opinion on meritocracy should be disseminated to our school children right from young.