According to a recent survey conducted by Jobstreet.com, 83% of Singaporeans are not satisfied with their current income and 53% of them believe that $6,000 should be the ideal monthly salary to cover the rising costs in our country.
Being an undergraduate, my first reactions when faced with such statistics ought to be of anxiety or concern. However, truth to be told, I feel strangely nonchalant about it, perhaps even a little miffed about why such surveys are even conducted in the first place and the effects of these results on the population.
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I must explain myself. I have always been skeptical about any results that attribute numerical measurements for abstract emotions like discontentment or even happiness. I tend to assume that nobody is ever satisfied with the amount of money they have. So why 83%? How is such a reaction limited to Singapore only?
Also, while the second statement might be slightly more useful, I believe that if the majority does indeed succeed in earning $6,000 a month, it will incur greater rising costs, aggravating the very problem that is to be resolved.
This sounds like a rather bleak scenario and I know I ought to be worried. In fact, I do have a lot of reasons to feel that way.
For one, I am pursuing a degree that is seemingly of little economic prospectives so job opportunities are painfully limited on my side. Moreover, as you are reading this article now, it will be nice for you to appreciate that I am writing it for free as well, so I do hope that this makes you feel better about yourself.
What then, can we do to beat this seemingly “endless rat race”?
Unfortunately, I doubt that there is any easy or definite solution to this question. It seems impossible to meet the unlimited desires of every single human being.
Instead, we ourselves become willing rats that unwittingly join in the race. Perhaps I am still young and thus, am rather naïve but I like to think that for most parts, the mind is the source of all mental states and if we can put things in perspective and strike a neat balance, we can and will, ultimately be happier. Having said my piece, it is time I demand payment of some form for my work.
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