The Rat Race

[pywong]

Hi there,

I wrote a few articles for Malaysia-today and will like to share it with this forum to stimulate discussion and promote an understanding of our economic position.

They are broken into a few parts as follows:

The Rat Race

Part I - We Are Doing Well
Part II - The System
Part IIIA - How The System Works
Part IIIB - The Circle
Part IV - The Pyramid
Part V - The Malaysia Model
Part VI - How To Get Out (still under consideration)

I wrote them for my children. So those who are less than 30 years may find it useful to guide them in their future journey.

Let's start with Part I - We Are Doing Well.

py

[youngteenguy]

Interesting thoughts... pls do continue...

[birdy]

Looking forward for subsequent parts............ :cool:

[Jey]

The trouble with being in a rat race is that, even if you win the race, you are still a rat. :D

[joker2107]

good start, pywong. hope you will also have something along the way which talks about today's disposal income having to be spread more thinly over an ever broadening array of necessities such as security, telecommunications, insurance, private transport, air-conditioning, tuition fees...

[pywong]

good start, pywong. hope you will also have something along the way which talks about today's disposal income having to be spread more thinly over an ever broadening array of necessities such as security, telecommunications, insurance, private transport, air-conditioning, tuition fees...
These articles are all generic. In other words, they are based on basic principles that apply all over the world. At the most fundamental level, we have to explore the mind to differentiate between what we need and what we want.

We get to consider the conditions of our minds relating to greed, fear, ego. We don't want to go too far into that because it verges on the metaphysical and most people will go "huh".

At the very last article, we will explore the special case of Malaysia. Believe me, it is special. :D

py

[KH EE]

Hi there,

I wrote a few articles for Malaysia-today...

py, can you provide the links?

TQ

[AllUrban]

good work Py :)

If you are interested in giving a talk to my economics class (75 students in total), you are more than welcome.

I have 75 teenage students who are taking their first steps to enter the rat race...I want them to at least be aware of the choices that they are making...as well as the opportunity costs.

Cheers, m

[fcloh]

thanks for the Rat Race, wating for the next chapter..... :)

[pywong]

py, can you provide the links?TQ
http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/3044/1/

[pywong]

good work Py :)

If you are interested in giving a talk to my economics class (75 students in total), you are more than welcome.

I have 75 teenage students who are taking their first steps to enter the rat race...I want them to at least be aware of the choices that they are making...as well as the opportunity costs.Cheers, m
Sure. How many days do they have? They will need anti-sleeping pills as well. :D

Actually, it is better to wait until they read Part IIIB: Mental Model No. 2 - The Circle. Then we can organize a game for them to play. They will absorb it better that way.

Those who have not been working for a few years and gone through the pain, will not appreciate what I have to say.

Same for my kids. Intellectually, they know what I am teaching them. But emotionally, they have not internalized it. Without that internalization, it won't stay with them and when a challenge crops up, they don't know how to apply the lessons. Until they do, we, parents, will never be free. We will constantly worry about their future, how they will cope with life's challenges, ... and globalization.

[yvonnefoong]

Same for my kids. Intellectually, they know what I am teaching them. But emotionally, they have not internalized it. Without that internalization, it won't stay with them and when a challenge crops up, they don't know how to apply the lessons. Until they do, we, parents, will never be free. We will constantly worry about their future, how they will cope with life's challenges, ... and globalization.


Don't be too harsh on the kids. Children rely a great on vicarious learning, by observing role models such as their parents. You do not need to spell it out, just show it.

[pywong]

Don't be too harsh on the kids. Children rely a great on vicarious learning, by observing role models such as their parents. You do not need to spell it out, just show it.
A baby Rat observing a parent Rat will only learn to be a Rat. :D

The manipulation is at the level of the subconscious mind. Observation doesn't help. Only experience does.

Eg. Say, a kid has never tasted salt and you want to describe the taste to him. Give it a try and see where it leads you. As against giving him a teaspoon of salt and asking him to swallow it. Which method works better? :)

We are talking of the undoing of a lifetime of mental habits of the kid, of the parent who is teaching the kid and of the grandparent who taught the parent of the kid,.... and so on. We may need to go back to the time when money was first invented. And we have need to understand the meaning of money. Many don't give much thought to the subject. Too tough. Much easier to slave for it. :D

[yvonnefoong]

A baby Rat observing a parent Rat will only learn to be a Rat. :D

The manipulation is at the level of the subconscious mind. Observation doesn't help. Only experience does....

Of course. But you can cultivate the right character that keeps them prepared by modeling the right character.

I had life relatively easy growing up. By spending time with my aunt who hardly spoke of serious matters with me, I needed only to observe the way she interact with people and respond to her environment, I have become very much like her and less like my parents. Some say I'm nothing like my parents. My aunt really didn't speak much or lectured me in any way. She did not have to tell me what is right and wrong. She need only practice a character of determination and independence. I was already like her before I got diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis and acquired all that I am now.

Years later after my aunt passed away, when I wanted to raise funds for surgery and spread NF awareness, I had to keep pulling my mom along or she would have given up before I even complained.

And character, is the foundation of all virtues and basis for learning. Give them the right character, and when time comes, they can learn themselves.

I am 21 years old. Raised funds for surgery at 19. No one taught me about financial management or told me to study hard and get a good paying job. Today, I am easily content and seldom spend more than necessary. But I still suck in maths!

[pywong]

Of course. But you can cultivate the right character that keeps them prepared by modeling the right character.

I had life relatively easy growing up. By spending time with my aunt who hardly spoke of serious matters with me, I needed only to observe the way she interact with people and respond to her environment, I have become very much like her and less like my parents. Some say I'm nothing like my parents. My aunt really didn't speak much or lectured me in any way. She did not have to tell me what is right and wrong. She need only practice a character of determination and independence. I was already like her before I got diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis and acquired all that I am now.

Years later after my aunt passed away, when I wanted to raise funds for surgery and spread NF awareness, I had to keep pulling my mom along or she would have given up before I even complained.

And character, is the foundation of all virtues and basis for learning. Give them the right character, and when time comes, they can learn themselves.

I am 21 years old. Raised funds for surgery at 19. No one taught me about financial management or told me to study hard and get a good paying job. Today, I am easily content and seldom spend more than necessary. But I still suck in maths!
Yvonne,
You are probably one of those individual who has the ability to absorb good values by observation. Could be due to your past good karma, although you also had to suffer from some medical ailments.

People who are physically disadvantaged tend to have better mental skills to help them compensate.

Yes, character is very important. Is character inborn or cultivated?

Suck in maths: Not to worry. Pick up gin rummy. :D

[yvonnefoong]

Well, Karma is a term for cause and effect. Like eating Nasi Lemak caused you to gain weight in effect. Not retribution. So the illness is not an "although". It's an event that would cause an effect. Now I gotta make sure the effect is a positive one.

[pywong]

Now I gotta make sure the effect is a positive one.
Try meditation. www.dhamma.org. :)

[yvonnefoong]

Try meditation. www.dhamma.org. :)

I believe in pure and goodly deeds. Becoming a useful and contributing citizen to mankind. So that all efforts went into maintaining my quality of life would not be wasted. This is good karma. Good effects of a cause, whatever it was.

[pywong]

I believe in pure and goodly deeds. Becoming a useful and contributing citizen to mankind. So that all efforts went into maintaining my quality of life would not be wasted. This is good karma. Good effects of a cause, whatever it was.
Looks like you are on the right track. The Rat Race will not affect you so much if you think like that. Keep it up.

[rocker]

pywong:
a very good article. u r the few malaysians who decided not to stick yr head in the sand! u can write well, know how to engage the audiences, shld do well as an author as well.

yvoone: if u r happy with yr way of life, then its good to carry on. no one can said u r wrong. but i afraid u will be very tired and exhausted later on in life. u may even feel misery.

[pywong]

pywong:
a very good article. u r the few malaysians who decided not to stick yr head in the sand! u can write well, know how to engage the audiences, shld do well as an author as well.
Thanks Rocker. I merely wish to share some ideas that I have developed through my journey in life, hoping it can help some young people along the way. Looking at the cost of living and the obstacles that UMNO has put in the way of our children, it is very tough for them.

God knows they need every bit of help they can get.


yvoone: if u r happy with yr way of life, then its good to carry on. no one can said u r wrong. but i afraid u will be very tired and exhausted later on in life. u may even feel misery.
If she maintains the mental attitude that she has described, she will do ok. Money is not everything in life. We only need enough to eat and live a decent life.

[yvonnefoong]

yvoone: if u r happy with yr way of life, then its good to carry on. no one can said u r wrong. but i afraid u will be very tired and exhausted later on in life. u may even feel misery.

You do not appear to understand what I mean, but that's okay.

[hhtee]

Hi there,

I wrote a few articles for Malaysia-today and will like to share it with this forum to stimulate discussion and promote an understanding of our economic position.

They are broken into a few parts as follows:

The Rat Race

Part I - We Are Doing Well
Part II - The System
Part IIIA - How The System Works
Part IIIB - The Circle
Part IV - The Pyramid
Part V - The Malaysia Model
Part VI - How To Get Out (still under consideration)

I wrote them for my children. So those who are less than 30 years may find it useful to guide them in their future journey.

Let's start with Part I - We Are Doing Well.

py

I have read the first one. TABIK TABIK TABIK!

[pywong]

I have read the first one. TABIK TABIK TABIK!
Keep a copy for yourself and refer to it as you go through life. Hopefully, it will offer some answers for you. :)

[pywong]

Before Mar 08 elections, Badawi said:

........ Trust me, we are doing well.
........ 12 Feb 08: I don't know when we are going to have elections
........ We will not have fuel price hike this year

His actions:
......... 13 Feb 08: Elections called
......... 4 Jun 08: Fuel price raised by 50% average


Now he says: No more fuel hike this year (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/mni/no-more-fuel-price-hike-this-year-govt-to-pay-out-salary-twice-a-month.html) .

Can you trust him anymore?

Compare this:

Khalid said: Free 20m3 water.

See below.

New Straits Times
12 June 2008

Free water from Monday for Selangor households
By : Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM: All households in Selangor will receive 20 cubic metres of
water free from this month.

This follows an agreement by state-owned Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd
(KDEB) to pay Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) RM10.8 million
monthly for the water.

[pywong]

On 17 Feb 08, Badawi declared to the nation: "Believe me, we are doing well!"

The people gave him their assessment on his performance during 8 Mar 08 General Elections. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to get the message. Because, for the next 5 months after the elections, he was busy trying to save his skin as his UMNO chiefs were baying for his blood.

Next, instead of concentrating on the economy which was obviously slowing, he focused on playing politics with the 5 PR states and is now trying to jail Anwair Ibrahm on spurious charges.

On 4th Jun 08, he raised petrol and diesel prices by an average of more than 50%. This had a shocking effect on the economy and since then, it has been one fumble after another to try to mitigate the damage. The latest rumour is that the Govt is considering a reduction in fuel prices.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/87036

Unfortunately, the damage has been done. We have been subjected to a price increase all round. Trying to get the inflation genie back into the bottle is not possible now unless the economy were to fall into a recession.

Belatedly, Badawi is panicking and trying to set up an advisory council to tell him what to do. As with all past initiatives by Badawi, don't hold your breath.

Government officials also know that more challenging times are ahead. They believe that over the next 24 months will see the country facing a recession, the result of a global economic slowdown, runaway inflation.

To come up with plans to cushion the effects of the economic slowdown, the government has decided to set up a council of economic advisors.

http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/headlines/42-lead-stories/2437-advisory-panels-tough-task-to-dispel-economic-gloom