It’s comforting to know that at least half of the Singaporeans here trust that our country is better than most countries.
A study by YouGov, a market research company based in the US, shows that Singapore doesn’t come close as a contender for the top position in a graph titled, ‘Countries where citizens think they live in the best country in the world’.
We may not be the most patriotic – less than 10% of Singaporeans feel that Singapore is the best country to live in, whereas at the top of the table we have the US with a contrasting 40%. Fortunately, a convincing 60% feel that we’re better than most countries.
Singapore is known for our competitive Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate and low crime rate, amongst other things. Ask any Singaporean on the safety and security levels of our country and you can expect to be reassured.
While the factors taken into account were not indicated on the graph, they aren’t a tough one to crack. To put it simply, the question is whether there would be another country we’d rather live in.
A survey conducted by a group of Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students in 2014 revealed that more than 60% of youth in Singapore have considered moving abroad.
“Young Singaporeans today do not see themselves bound by geography. The world is a global village and we have opportunities out there for education, leisure and work,” explained Ms Sophia Tan, one of the SP students who headed the project.
The 60% who have considered leaving Singapore to pursue their dreams or have already done so, are also the ones who value the freedom to make their own decisions and wish to pursue an interest unrelated to their discipline of study.
On the other hand, those who preferred to remain in Singapore have aspirations to get married and start a family.
The difference between the 2 groups?
The former spends more time online and on social media platforms, which means the ‘culprit’ could be the result of a falsely perceived reality. If the 60% was satisfied with their predicament in the first place, surely such thoughts wouldn’t be so common.
The survey also acknowledged that Singaporean youths hope that we will blossom into a society that defines success beyond academic means, and which also emphasises on work-life balance.
Above All, There Are Things We Should Be Thankful For
Our public transport system is world-class, even with the train breakdowns. The ease of travelling from one end of the island to another within 2 hours is one that I dare say we undervalue. With buses reaching almost every end of the country, train breakdowns are almost insignificant.
It’s also easy to take the safety and security of our country for granted – nothing catastrophic has happened in Singapore in the recent decades.
A quick search on YouTube and you can witness how foreigners are impressed with the freedom to be out and about at night without having to fear for their own safety.
Alas, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. While I may find it ridiculous to be perspiring the moment I step out of my house in this unforgiving Singapore weather, another could see it as a beautiful sunny day out.
While each individual has his own set of factors in determining what the phrase “best country to live in” means, there’s also no harm in taking a step back to rediscover things that we may not notice right away.
