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

Attached Files

THE RAT RACE PART I – WE ARE DOING WELL 180208.doc (28.0 KB, 529 views)

Interesting thoughts... pls do continue...

Looking forward for subsequent parts............

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Every Birth Begins With Labour Pains

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

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That's OK Chang, I am quiet aware of your biased moderation too... And I dont need to slip in any last few words

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.

py

py, can you provide the links?

TQ

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What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple.
Whether you are willing to do it, that's another matter.
- Peter F. Drucker

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

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The world needs more Canada

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

http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/3044/1/

Sure. How many days do they have? They will need anti-sleeping pills as well.

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.

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.

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www.yvonnefoong.com

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

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.

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!

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www.yvonnefoong.com

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.