SINGAPORE: A man in his early 30s took to an online forum to share his reflections on life and the sense of monotony he feels despite having achieved many of the societal milestones people often strive for.
Posting on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit, he described how he and his fiancée had followed the typical Singaporean path. They both attended kindergarten, then primary and secondary school, moved on to junior college, and later to university, with him enrolling at NTU and her at NUS. After completing his National Service, they crossed paths in their late 20s and began planning their future together, just like many of their peers.
With stable jobs, healthy and supportive parents, a close-knit circle of friends, and the financial ability to travel once or twice a year, their lives seemed comfortable, predictable and well-settled. By all outward appearances, they were ticking all the boxes society expects. Everything seemed perfect.
However, despite achieving these milestones, the man admitted that he still felt something was missing. “I feel like I have many happy moments, but not sure if I’m actually happy. Like dunno what my plan in life is. Like, what am I building towards? I feel like it’s just a copy-and-paste life,” he said.
“I see many people planning their future lives elsewhere – MY, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. But seems like it’s always planning or some sort of routine in SG, like we are sheep or robots in a system. Just curious: what are all of you planning, if anything? It cannot be that everyone’s carpe diem, right? Seems like we’re really in a Matrix in SG, man,” he added.
“If you want to venture, go and venture…”
In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors chimed in with advice. One Singaporean Redditor said, “I think you are incredibly fortunate to have this level of stability in your life.
The lack of excitement is an easy fix – go do stuff (anything) you’ll never see yourself doing. Ditch the routine once in a while; you may always return to it, but life waits for no one.”
Another commented, “If you want to venture, go and venture. Don’t compare yourself with others. The key to a good life is to be thankful.”
A third wrote, “End game is you maintain this level of stability, man. Figure out what hobbies and pleasures you enjoy, and use your disposable income to make you and your spouse happy. Live content till your waning twilight years.”
In other news, a Singaporean woman shared on social media that her boyfriend of six years, who earns an impressive annual income of S$2,000,000, expects them to split all expenses equally.
On Tuesday (Jan 21), the woman posted anonymously on the NUSWhispers Facebook page. She explained that although her boyfriend is sweet, loyal, intelligent, and a gentleman who always tries to defend her or buy her favourite chocolate—a man she describes as “one in a trillion”—she’s often left wondering whether he truly loves her.
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