My work in the social enterprise sector has gone largely unnoticed till late 2010. I share this not in resentment but as a surprising trend that evolved once the impact of social media truly began to be felt across our country and the world. What was seen as emotional eruptions in politics, normally dormant social debates, in communities that traditionally remained silent, began to seriously detract from Singapore’s typical pragmatic and ordered way of doing work. All manner of emotions began to emerge, and a new language of engaging with consumers, citizens and communities had to be designed, a new context that gave us feeling types some significance in how we could contribute to society.
It has become clear to many that the root of several social problems is narrative. Prejudice, littering, xenophobia, traffic jams, even tuna extinction are essentially narrative driven phenomenon. And narrative informs powerful emotions which in turn inform movements and action. Resignation informs a certain course of action. As does cynicism, or frustration, or gratitude, or nostalgia; all now familiar emotions that have become some of the cultural mainstays in Singaporean society. The Thought Collective's work over the past decade has been to understand the narratives behind these emotions, to engage with the communities that inhabit them, and to help channel or transform these emotions into energy that contributes to Singapore at large.
It is in this context that I would like to introduce the phenomenon of suffering; a profoundly powerful experience once we truly understand what it is and how it informs our work and identity. Suffering emerges from the distance caused between two narratives. The way that things should be, and the way that things are. The belief that Singapore, our family, our spouses, our grades should be a certain way, and the belief that they are not or in fact far from how they should be, will create suffering. An emotional energy that can only be satisfied should we lower the expectation of what should be, or change the state of the way things are. These two narratives, essentially inform all work. Whether it be in medicine, or banking, or urban planning, or hospitality, or organisational development, we are essentially all working to allay the suffering of others or ourselves. It is the heart of all work; compelling suffering makes for powerful work.
The foundation of work is to end suffering. But work in Singapore today is intensely complex and highly confusing. For we have all manner of ways we wish to end suffering, the most dangerous and counter productive, being that of a choice to indifference, cynicism or apathy. Singapore cannot afford to do this. These emotions while valid counters to increasing trauma and change, cannot be mainstays informing Singapore work culture. For with them come all manner of ills. People stop listening. People stop believing. Aspiration becomes meaningless, and conduits to fulfilling aspiration like collaboration and productivity become pointless endeavours. More frightening is how collective suffering diminishes. And we become concerned with ending our own suffering, own deadlines, own bread and butter issues, without cognisance of the necessary mutual suffering that brings about innovation and new ways of living together successfully.
Scarcity will always engender suffering. It is a given economic truth. But through powerful narrative, Singapore grew into abundance. Should we not understand the dynamics that lead us to this point, we are in for a very rough ride.