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Running to Help

Over years and centuries, the way societies are organised has moved from “Family and Community” to “State and Market”. But somehow as human beings we feel somewhat uncomfortable about this, and we long for the trust and comfort of relationship in family and community.  It is a matter of being at ease. The State may be able to deliver services and financial help, but it cannot deliver heart.  The market may deliver efficiency through competition and effort, but oftentimes it comes at the expense of being uncaring and unfeeling, and sometimes even unthinking. So we have the challenge of how…
Honour Singapore
July 26, 2015
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THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL NORMS

The Straits Times on 13 March 2015 published an article entitled "The importance of social norms", which was written by David Brooks, an Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times who has been described as relatively irreligious. It is a commentary on American society today with a perspective useful for Singapore. Allow me to quote extracts: “We now have multiple generations of people caught in recurring feedback loops of economic stress and family breakdown, often leading to something approaching anarchy of the intimate life. It’s not only money and better policy that are missing in these circles; it’s norms.”  “The…
Honour Singapore
March 19, 2015
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