SINGAPORE: A young woman recently shared on social media that it’s quite ‘tragic’ to see so many Singaporeans jumping into relationships “just for the sake of affordable housing”.
“I’m nearing the end of my university, and I got to admit that the relationships I observe these days are rather built based on poor foundations,” she wrote on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum.
Instead of forming genuine emotional connections, she said, people seem to be getting attached mainly for housing, companionship, and self-validation. “It gets worse when your social circle starts to discuss it and the social pressure mounts on people. I have seen this, and it’s honestly tragic,” she said.
She also reflected on the risks of this approach, questioning why many people don’t see that being with the wrong partner can be more “detrimental” than staying single.
“Of course there are instances where you find the right one, but divorce cases are getting more common in Singapore, and you sometimes wonder why,” she said. “Can someone enlighten me on this?”
“Focus on walking your own path”
In the comments section, one Redditor acknowledged that many people enter relationships for affordable housing, companionship, and self-validation, but that doesn’t automatically make it a bad thing.
He said, “You might be absolutely correct, but acting morally superior isn’t going to win you any friends, and we all need friends. The whole tortured, old-soul-in-a-young-body, why-aren’t-my-peers-as-enlightened-as-I-am schtick gets old fast. Keep your head down and do well by yourself. I wish you all the best.”
Another said, “For divorce, yes, getting more common, the best thing you can do is not to contribute to that statistic. It’s good to see some deep thinking on your part, but ultimately, other people have to live their own lives and learn their own lessons; you will have yours as well, so just focus on walking your own path.”
A third Redditor advised, “You are still young, and you don’t have to marry anyone before 30, and you should never settle. But in any case, you don’t need to care about what everyone does.
“You don’t need to care about BTO. Everyone’s life is different and you don’t need to live that ‘conventional’ life. Do what you want and don’t give a care about what others think or are doing.”
Read also: Man asks, “Why aren’t more people into simple living in Singapore?”
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)