Pragmatism, among many other qualities, has always been deeply embedded in the Singaporean psyche from the very beginning — a trait passed down through Lee Kuan Yew’s principles. Though its enabled the nation to become one of the world’s greatest success stories (and we write that without a trace of sarcasm), the relentless focus on pure economic growth doesn’t leave that much space for society to value humanities.
Aspiring language major Blake Ho has had first-hand experience in getting struck down again and again by the cold, unfeeling fist of Singaporean pragmatism. Passionate in the subjects of language, culture and history, he expressed his heartache at having his plans to study German and Spanish belittled by so many around him in an emotional post on Facebook.
“…I could feel the strongest part of my identity buckling under the pressure to conform to societal expectations of being successful”.
Read his full post here, and check out some highlights from his piece below.
On how others think he’s pursuing a “useless” degree
“I have always viewed my passion in learning new languages and understanding foreign cultures as an inherent part of my identity. There is no way I could do without it. Yet, it is a distressing experience every time I come under scrutiny by new acquaintances and (yes, disappointingly) even close friends, who may be subconsciously questioning my sanity for undertaking such an absurd degree.”
On how a former tutor let him down
“Through dismissive texts, he managed to not only belittle my passion and choice of course, but also disparage and invalidate the countless hours and great effort I put in to submit my applications. Editing and re-editing ten personal statement drafts, struggling through the timeless classics by acclaimed German writers Brecht, Hesse and Rilke, and even flying over to Cambridge to be grilled by two senior academics – all that has come to naught in his eyes. I was naturally appalled and felt hurt, vowing never to talk to him again.”
On Singapore’s belittling of the arts
“Although many would say that Singaporeans have come a long way from disparaging arts subjects to promoting the humanities now, I would beg to differ. I believe that we, in general as a society, are still brutally pragmatic, even in our attitudes towards the arts. We are willing to compromise and give the arts space to flourish only because we can justify it through potential monetary and financial rewards from it. In other words, I find it regrettable that the arts are seldom undertaken for its own sake.”
