Why great men cultivate the wisdom of silence

While talking and expressing ourselves might strengthen our egos by making us feel important, special, or intelligent, in the end, it actually diminishes our power to a great degree….silence however deepens our gravitas and coats us with a sheen of power.

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‘In business. I intimidate by keeping to the discipline of silence. Often my silence is amplified considerably as everyone expects me to say something….buy since I say nothing. This gap creates confusion. It is within this gap that is created in the head that I will usually exploit with the power of suprise.

Usually I win! I have too. As I am autistic and no one will ever be compassionate to me…so I must learn to be kind, gentle and compassionate to myself.

Thank you my dear friend silence for adding instead of subtracting from my life.’

Shackleton

Box shows the ship stuck in ice.

Learning to live peacefully

In the last six months. I’ve made a genuine effort to live peacefully…..that’s to say, I make it a point to only see the good in others and I try my very best to suppress my suspicions and latent fears.

Often I find myself having to get a handle on my paranoia.

On fighting

What makes other landowners wary of me is not my size, wealth or shpere of influence….if anything it is my relentlessness in fighting…my incredible stamina and the sheer concerntration of effort.

I think that must be very scary. Because if you have a person like me chasing your tail….it will be very hard to keep still and be at rest.

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‘In the life of every person. You will definitely come to a point where you will have to fight. This is not about winning, ego or even who is right or wrong. You will have to fight. You will have too even when you realize, you will probably get pulverized and the very best you can really hope for is the meat grinder is kind to you and maybe it spits you out half way. Maybe you can roll as best as you can with the punches. But there will be one reality that will not be negotiable…you will have to fight.

That thing that will beat you up could be your creditors, health issues or even life itself.

Some people will say, well you are stupid to fight on. But to me even if the other side creams you. At least the effort of resistance you once put up endures and hopefully the otherside will grimace with pain when they think about you…that is all you can ever hope to do…..your very best.’

Cars & Women

A good car is like a good woman. You can always find plenty of reasons to stay in love.

These cars were made to run a million miles

1970 Mercedes

I will buy one that is really beat up and dead cheap. Then I will restore it to show room condition like so. I will drive it around for a couple of years and then sell it for a big fat profit…..then I will do the same again. This way I will never ever suffer car depreciation.

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‘If you are a parent of an autistic child. I want to share with you a soulstirring secret – nature is very democratic….that is to say, if she takes with one hand, she will always give with another.

Most parents of autistic children either dont know this or dont have faith in this truism….to some extent I can undertstand completely. As they see no proof or evidence….but you must have faith.

For me I am mechanically inclined. I can for instance look at a blue print of an engine only once and proceed to strip it and assemble it back again. And it will start on the first turn.

I can even take a look at a complete loss cause where even the so called best of best shake their heads in defeat and proceed to work day and night on it and at the end of it, it will be factory production perfect. If for some reason I cant find the part, then I will make it from scratch for a block of virgin steel.

Most men cannot do this! Some will pretend they can, but since they show no results, they can only come up with ten reasons why they dont have time….but I can take a bite and another and another and in no time, it will just be like a KFC carcass….so you know now why some people call me a very dangerous man…..because I can do things most men cannot do!’

What can we learn from Mr Dyson and Uncle Leong?

If Uncle Leong is as rich as Mr Dyson. Then it will always be moot whether he would have been sued. But since he is neither rich or someone who can ever have a direct effect on the economy of Singapore…you draw your own conclusions…so the moral of the story is this.

If you want to be an effective agent of social and cultural change in Singapore.

You must first be very rich and powerful….the rest matter little.

Lessons about Mahathir & Singapore

When I reflect carefully on my own life. It is not the people who are thoughtful, kind and considerate who forged me into the person I am today. I realize all these people cared and loved me very much. But in terms of learning outcomes…they actually gave me so very little.

The people who gave me more than I ever expected are actually those who tried to bankrupt, cheat, blackmail, threaten, beat me into a pulp, character assasinate, shit on my head etc etc me. They were the ones who actually made me who I am today.

If you cut thru my entire life, you will see layer after layer of pain. I’ve been fighting so long some people actually think I fear peace more than war.

One day I am going to invite all these people to a banquet and thank them. Please keep up the good work. Never stop! NEVER!

You have absolutely no idea how much I need you in my life!

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‘Can you possibly imagine where Singapore would be today if Malaysia really gave her premium shit from day one! Think about it! If Malaysia really made it hard as nails for Singapore, HDB would not be a lumbering dinosaur today. It would probably have a hundred or more patents that it could commoditize to create new industries and jobs in Singapore, everything from how to make bricks out of algea to recycling pooh to manufacture industrial strenght floor tiles!

If Malaysia really gave Singapore a time so hard that she had to sweat blood and piss lava. You would never get ministars who look as if they going to burst out in tears everytime they have to deal with Malaysian ministers. They will be far superior to the entitlement mentality ilk you have today who are all addicted to predictability and having their own way all the time!

If Malaysia really made it bleeding hard for Singapore to turn the wheel of life. You will never get AVA impersonating a postman and passing on price hikes of agro produce to consumers. That will never happen because Singapore would have a real food security strategy that has reserves of frontier men who know how to plant, defend the land and bring the food back to the people who sent them!

So my point is suck it in. Get out there and be strong and if you cant do that at least have the decency to pretend. Stop complaining like a petulant child that life is not treating you fairly. No one wants to hear your whinning! Above all do you job and do it well!’

Don’t count on things getting better after Mahathir!

Many people believe Mahathir is just the PM of Malaysia for the short haul..interim…transit period etc etc. They’re all pinning their hopes on the iron facts he’s getting old and at some point in the game. He has to step down and hopefully someone ‘reasonable’ like Anwar will step in and he can always be counted to keep the status quo.

You should be extremely cautious of such advice and opinion simply because they are so highly optimistic, they’re probably dead wrong. Besides these are the same category of people who once insisted there is no way Mahathir can be the PM because of his age! Remember these are the same people who dismissed me as a crackpot when I told them Mahathir will be back four years ago. These were also the same people who predicted life will go right on as it has always done. As Najib & Co will win hands down.

Now let me tell you something else that no one will ever tell you, not it the LKY school, not in the faculty of political science in either NUS or NTU – Anwar will not be the next PM after Mahathir.

The reason why these so called experts do not tell you this is simply because they are very lazy slobs who probably show as much enthuism and ingenuity for their craft as cows after sun down….with such assets on your side…trust me who needs enemies?

They actually think they can predict outcomes in some air conditioned cubicle far removed from reality without ever once investing boots on the ground….above all they dont want to get down and dirty and see it all from ground zero.

So now you know something you didnt know yesterday…the week before or even last year this time – this is as good as it gets!

Deal with it!

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‘It is impossible to wish the Mahathir’s of this world away. You can certainly hope that should you happen to be one of the dearly unfortunates to get tangled with the Mahathirs of this world…perhaps God or the Mickey mouse club will give you some magic amulet to escape grief. But it is pointless to wish for all these fairytale amulets, spells and secret gardens.

Truth is when a Mahathir comes before you. You have to deal with it as stoically as you can and hope that you can roll with the punches and emerge without breaking any bones.

Because in life if it is not him, it is someone else who will personify Mahathir and should you take the trouble to look at those people who regularly cause you grief, fear and shame….you might even find a mahathir lurking somewhere.

But never lower your eyes in submission….this is not about courage, it is about how to be a man and woman who knows the wisdom of how to live a purpose driven life.

So my point is get with it! Providing one is alive. It is impossible to escape pain when one has elected to be part of the world and to belong to the human condition…..but this does not mean that we are here to nourish suffering. No! It just means, we have to face these problems stoically and hope for the best that if we do that well.

Perhaps…maybe..pain is inevitable, but suffering will always be optional.’

This is what happens when insecure leaders keep suing and harrasing citizens who think.

A very effective way to stop a cat from jumping on a stove is to turn it on. There’s only one problem with that. That same cat will probably learn not to jump on a cold stove either…..and that is a very big problem….people will laugh at you…as you are funny.

Always remember I want you to be respected and taken seriously by others.

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‘Why is Mahathir doing what he’s doing? Well the mini skirt answer is because he can! And there’s very little that Mini Lee can do about it. Welcome to the world comprising of the good, bad and ugly.

In life there’s no such thing as avoiding nasty people. Not all the time at least. Especially when they happen to be the prime minister next door. And what might the best response be? Well we know that Balakrishnan doesnt know his right foot from left. Because the very moment, he says something. Then at that point the Malaysians will do the very opposite and suddenly everything is up in the air again.

So the situation is very fluid.

And when everything is up in the air all the time. Its very difficult to put your thoughts across when you have a policeman running around in your head. You will not be able to present a persuasive case simply because to accomplish this feat you must have the freedom to explore all possibilities.

This is why freedom is so important. To me it is not just a right. I am not like Andrew Loh, Amos Yee or Yawning Bread. To me the idea of freedom has a strategic value. That is to say when you incorporate freedom into your business plan…you will win!

Conversely when you are always harrassed and intimidated because you choose to think freely then it is very unlikely that you can even craft a persuasive case. Then it is very difficult to push ahead technologically, politically, economically and culturally.

You will always be looking to other people who can put across a persuasive case to lead.

Always remember there are many many Mahathirs in this world. Welcome to the world of the good, bad and ugly.’

I am not here to support either Malaysia or Singapore…I write only

For myself. I only pass thru here once, so I have to speak my mind. If you dont like it. You can always sue me. Dont say I am not cooperating. All you have to do is leave a message on my comment box. I will get back to you. All this will of course stress me some….but what to do…I will have to adjust and since my spending habits are very modest. I am confident. I will get to the other side. A bit scarred and bloodied maybe, but reach the otherside I will and I will speak my mind again.

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‘There’s such a thing as the rule of law. The last premier who ran the government like his private kitchen was Najib & Co. He got booted out because the people were sick and tired of his constant threats and intimidation….this should serve as a lesson to everyone who believes they can do what they want including disregarding the law.

One day your teeth will be kicked in! Go to bed tonight with that knowledge….one day your teeth will be kicked in!’

Jungle

The unspoken truth between Malaysia and Singapore

It is not a conversation concerning technicalities like how and where an aircraft proceeds to start landing procedures in Johor or even where might the line in sea be that separates Malaysia and Singapore.

If it were really that, then I do not believe it is a problem.

The issue at hand is it involves a conversation concerning what Najib & Co did and who helped him.

Unless a real conversation takes place with the leaders of both countries….then this will just go right on. If it is not this, it will be that and so on and so forth.

The kingdom of clouds

Why there will be no end to Malaysia and Singapore disputes

Unless Singapore learns to hit back economically. There will be no end to Malaysian and Singaporean disputes….disputes as to water….disputes as to airspace…..disputes as to where the line is and should be in the sea etc etc etc etc etc.

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Why you must absolutely be an enterprise owner in Singapore

Because there are so many time honoured lies concerning a career in Singapore. The biggest lie that 98% of people believe in is that you can have a career. That is not true. You may land a job. But a job can never be a career. Because the entire organizational principle that determines a job is designed to specifically exploit you – what you actually are when you are in a job is maybe two pegs higher than a battery chicken….that is really what you are. And since the product life cycle of the average worker is getting shorter due to the profit motive fixation that most if not all firms are terminally addicted too – there is no way that you can possibly have a career if you work for a firm. The only exception is that you join the PAP. As only they have the extraordinary power to provide with life time employment and plenty of safety nets that all add up to make up a career. The only other people who have careers are enterprise owners. As since they emulate the Dao of firms. They have fashioned themselves to be exploiters of workers.

To me there is no shame to say that you are an exploiter of the working class. There is however great shame to pull the wool over the eyes of the masses to sell them the great lie that a job can some how be a career.

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‘If you have just started work and you happen to be genuine about succeeding. My first advise to you is to avoid women. Because when a woman comes into your life. You will always be suffering from cancer of the wallet. You will also end up as a wishy washy person. If you really cannot tahan. Then you should look for a low maintenance girl fren. But since that is an impossibility in Singapore. Maybe you should consider settling for the second option – a Doberman. Dogs in my opinion are the only species on this planet where you can give out one unit of love and they can return it a hundred fold. So the ROL, return on love quotient is highly geared as dogs are big givers.

Dogs can teach you more about love, companionship and trust than a woman.

The second thing you should do is be really nice to your parents and stay with them. Because that is the true minimalist way to get by. Those minimalist who insist on having their own place due to facile reasons like space, privacy and autonomy are actually very cluttered people. Not only will you save alot of $ this way, but you will also reap the economies of scale that comes from not having to buy another set of furniture, kitchen appliance, fire insurance etc etc. Of course there will be loss of privacy, because mummy from time to time come into your room to secretly to check on you etc etc. But that is very manageable and since I dont want to intrude on your personal space. I will leave all these nano details for you to sort out yourself.

The third thing you should never ever do is join a cult church. Because if you do so, ten percent of your monthly salary is toast. You also meet alot of perculiar folk there who will take you further from achieving your goal of financial liberty. As they like to give things away.

Fourth. Learn to cook as not only is this a proven way to save money. But it is incredibly edifying and satisfying to be able to cook and enjoy independence than to depend on food cooked by people who regularly wipe their ass with chocolate cake. Also forget travelling and seeing the world etc etc. REMEMBER WE ALL SECRET AGENTS! We all have a mission to accomplish. Failure is not an option. So all these trivia like holidays and eating out is not necessary. Besides i rather see the world when I am a millionaire and dont have to worry about $. Gratification can be delayed.

Fifth. Avoid plastic people. These are usually materialistic people who do stupid things like eat maggi noodles just to buy a branded hand bag etc etc. Or men who are so delusional that they actually believe their sense of worth and self esteem can some how be found in a bonnet of an expensive car that depreciates in value faster than a snow man on a hot day. These are poisionous people because their ideology and philosophy is both vapid and leads to nowhere. once you mix with them. They will take you further away from your goal.

Six. Always keep a note pad and jot down things that you may want to research on to accomplish your life mission. Better still keep a blog and update it regularly. As this will allow you to audit your thought processes.

Seven. Mix with people that you cannot absolutely tolerate. This will develop the necessary discipline to be an office warrior. Never mix with people who you like. Again that is slow acting poison as you will be in your comfort zone. By forcing yourself to mix with people who you rather not be with – this will develop inner discipline. Keep your enemies close, very close.

Eight. Learn to be comfortable alone. Because once you begin your journey to break free. You will find this to be both a necessary and an invaluable character trait. Strive to be emotionally independent. Do not be a leach and parasite on those who love you. The mark of a real man is his ability to function effectively alone!

Nine. learn to make excellent coffee. This will enable you to craft a safe zone where if the shit piles up, you can always escape to your secret garden. I personally keep a bunsen burner with an expresso in my car. You can keep it in the office. Remember there is no compassion in the world for you…so you must be learn to be both kind and compassionate to yourself.

Ten. Trust no one. Not even yourself. Trust only what the facts tell you.

Good luck. I will see you all on the otherside.’

Why it is impossible to attain work life balance in Singapore

In Singapore it is impossible to achieve work life balance primarily because the hegemony that makes up management is disproportionally represented by people who live only to work. Since these workaholics do not have any personal life to speak of. Usually they are not married and dont have children. And those who are married are either lousy spouses or mothers and fathers from hell…..because their personal philosophy in life comprises only the litany of work, work and work.

They EXPECT everyone to be exactly like them….if you are not like them. You can never ever rise in the organization.

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‘Let me share with you a secret that they should teach in Harvard Business School, but fortunately don’t.

Some years back ago. A young man told me that he wanted to work his way up in an organization to better the lot of people and planet. I told this person it is an admirable sentiment, but he is not going to get mileage out of that vision simply because the goals and aspirations of firms will ALWAYS be diametrically opposite to the long term well being of people and planet.

After hearing all this. The man asked of me in an indignant tone – how then can I work to make this planet a better place along with improving the lives of people?

I told this man that the first day he works as a salaried man is the moment when the great stopwatch of his life is clicked. Because from that point onwards, he would need to formulate a plan on how to start his own enterprise.

The man asked in a protesting tone. But I dont have any money!

I told him. Not having money doesnt mean that he cannot still plan for the future. I then showed this man a young tree and asked of him, when do you think I can harvest durians from this tree? So what do you expect of me…not plant any durian trees?

I went on to tell the man. The moment he is conscious that the place where he works is more likely to eat him up and spit him out by age forty than guarantee him an iron bowl livelihood. The more incentive he has to plan for the future and when a person has this sort of mindset where he thinks of nothing expect HOW to break out.

This person is very different from the rest.

Because when a man has a plan to break out. Everything that he does and doesnt choose to do will be directed only to fulfilling his mission. This means this person is like a spy, he is using the firm where he works as a training school for him to increase his chances of accomplishing his mission when he decides to start an enterprise.

But I told this young man this. There is only one stricture to my suggested life philosophy – you must not tell anyone about your plan to break out! You must always keep it a secret…even from the person who you love with all your heart. You must never ever let her know.

Before we parted. The man asked me….how to you know all these secrets?

I told the man. Because I have seen how malevolent, evil and manipulative YOUR world is to my kind. I went on to tell this man – men such as I have no choice but to break out! Because if your world had a free hand on ordering the life of my kind. I would really only aspire to either clean toilets or clean up after ungrateful diners in a food court.

My success is my greatest revenge.’

Truth about jobs

Ninety eight percent of people dont like what they are doing and they consider it a grind. Only two percent of people really enjoy what they are doing…..and they are ALL enterprise owners.

So now that you know this. You suddenly realize your parents, teachers, priest and the man on TV lied to you!

Yes they lied to you. They didnt lie because they were necessarily evil. No! They lied to you because even they dont know the truth!

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‘No one will ever tell you what I am about to share with you! They will not tell you because they are adherents who believe in one form or another that – you are your job and your job is you! What makes these people so persuasive is they actually come across as sane and sensible.

But if you think long and hard about it – your job cannot possibly be sustainable. That’s to say if you’re looking for a job that can support you and your family till your mid fifties….there are no jobs like that any longer.

There used to be jobs like that. But now that very idea of life time employment is fast diminishing and only very few people end up with sustainable jobs. Because the moment you hit your thirties. You will lose your competitiveness. In your forties it will be uphill and beyond that…you’re well and truly into music chairs terrain. That is the general direction jobs are headed towards.

The only way to insulate yourself from obselence is to start your own enterprise. That is why when you are a salaried person. You should always spend your time thinking how to break out.’

Geneva 1999