Is it true that singaporeans are the most obnoxious people in asia?i've heard that many times from various..

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wysely

At the onset I must admit that I am a Singaporean. So it is understandable that whatever I say here will be looked upon with doubt. But I believe the community here is open-minded enough to consider views from a member of the subject nation itself.

It appears that many people agree that 'Singaporeans are the most obnoxious people in Asia'. At least it shows from this unofficial survey here. As a Singaporean I do not feel good that my country has such a bad image among people from other parts of the world. However I believe this cannot be without reasons. And I also believe that knowing the reasons is important. Because it is the only way Singaporeans can self-reflect and seek ways to improve themselves.

I tried to identify specific reasons within this survey the reasons that lead to the perception that 'Singaporeans are the most obnoxious people in Asia'. But I could not find many. Though many respondents agreed they did not elaborate.

brownorso quoted the phenomenon that Singaporeans would use tissue packs to reserve seats for themselves at hawker centres and coffee shops during meal times. Yes, I must agree this is a very inconsiderate behaviour. This is a specific instance in which guilty Singaporeans must change and improve.

However I cannot agree with brownorso's opinion that Singaporeans will do anything, even to the extent to pushing an old lady away, to achieve their desires. Singaporeans may be at times inconsiderate but they are not in general unscrupulous.

I quite like lisp-of-a-lilac's more objective assessment of Singaporeans. Singapore is a small country. In fact it is the smallest in Asia. It also has a relatively shorter history than its Asian counterparts. But it already has quite a few remarkable achievements to be proud of. And it apparently has no reservations in competing head-on with the big boys in the international arena.

I think I can safely say that Singaporeans are a proud and self-confident people. But such people can fall into the trap of being overconfident and even arrogant. What Singaporeans may be lacking is a keener sense of humility, especially the younger generation that grew up during prosperous times.

I guess this is why lisp-of-a-lilac says that Singaporeans are '...very judgemental of others and very conscious of judgement from others,...', '...as if the world revolves around them...'. Singaporeans are quite certain that their country is doing better than its neighbours. Therefore, there is an tendency for them to critique other countries based on their experience at home. Singaporeans may need to develop a greater awareness of what is happening far beyond its shorelines. We are definitely not the best, and we need to learn to accept constructive criticisms.

lisp-of-a-lilac also commented about Singaporeans' 'pragmatism'. hey felt that the people of Singapore have a low sense of humour. Shine has probably encountered at least one unfriendly Singaporean. The typical Singaporean may have a great deal to learn about loosing up. But he lives in a country that has a high standard of living and whose government does not believe in state welfare. Be it in school or at work, the system embraces meritocracy. Competition is intense, and the pressure weighs heavily on his heart. Perhaps it is now understandable that he may not have a minute and a smile to spare a total stranger?

The typical Singaporean imagines himself in a perpetual race of survival. There is simply no time to stop and rest (and to smell the flowers) because he does not want to lag behind and be looked upon as a loser in the race. You can say that it is his own choice, but his choice is also influenced by the environment in which he lives.

Chocolate Strawberries.

The people here know what they want and will go out of the way to get it.

I admit the people here might be a little on the unfriendly side, but do a quick comparison to London and New york. We're a thriving urban city all in all. Very busy.

payo 78

yes

tooon68

Can I say so? Possibly yes after my terrible time dealing with them for years. They're not oriental people.

brownorso

they can be obnoxious...its because of their lifestyle...they want everything in a short amount of time and they will do anything, even push away an old lady to get it...but there are a small fraction of them who are ok...an example on how obnoxious they are, they use small tissue packs to reserve seats durin lunch hour...where in the world can u see something like tht??

Cakebread

Of course we are and also proud to be an ugly, kiasu and biggest complainants in Asia. That is why 4 million people can do more wonders that 1 billion people else where.
A tiny red dot can prove more than any other countries in Asia, come on our Singapore dollar is the strongest than any other Asian countries. What else do you want, come on Singapore be more obnoxious in the future.

drjenlee

hmm... im not a sporean..but im a residence in spore for more than ten yrs. Sporeans are not as bad as wat u mentioned... i guess probably there is a few black sheeps that destroy the reputation. pls do not generalised ...in every nation n country..there are gd n bad ppl. some will make the country proud n vice versa. one rotten apple in the basket does not mean that every apple in the basket is rotten.

NMH2580

yes

cock0279

yes

jaikumaar6

i agree what wysley said

lilacchild

You can't really generalise people of any nationality to be of a certain sort. I met many wonderfully kind souls here in my years of staying here.

If there is anything that I hope will change about certain Singaporeans, it would be:

1) Their tendency to be very judgemental of others and very conscious of judgement from others, which causes them to be pseudocynical, psudo-narrow-minded and self-repressive.

2) Their pragmatism which keeps them from delighting in the little things in life.

3) The way they can be very self-centered, in that they would not think of altering their lifestyles and the way they speak even for a while, to accomodate people with different practices. It is as if the world revolves around them and it gets very frustrating after a while.

These do not apply to all Singaporeans, though!

peanut 2630

yes

hey

i dont think singaporeans are OBNOXIOUS, come on! thats a serious allegation! They could be a little unapproachable at times...but thats only at the outset i think...plus they are a hard working lot...so catch them in the evenings after office hours and you might see the friendly side :)
i stayed there for 2 months last summer...on holiday ....and had a fabulous time! they like having tourists around (thats what i felt) unlike a lot of other destinations we know in the west...
all-in-all ...they are a great people....sense of humour might be a little on the low side ...or just different...but thats about it!

Unicornrider

What utter rubbish, I haven't found that once, the only rude person I came accross wasn't Singaporean. They've always been polite, friendly and go out of their way to be helpful to everyone they meet.

son2750

yes

bamer71

yes

simplegal

although i won't be surprised if people say that as some singaporeans really are obnoxious and give our own country a bad reputation.
But i would also think that they are being affect by other issues as well, like work stress and environment changes. its always an evil cycle, no one is born obnoxious.
and also lots of foreigners from asia come to our country to work and some can be obnoxious too so our own country men are affected by them.
hope this answers your question cheers

orchardAZZ

absolutely

bird 67

yes

vienies259

yes

Yanny Ping

Well you shouldn't generalise because everywhere in the world, there are bound to be people of different personalities. I am a Singaporean but I will not "push an old lady" just to get what I want. Some practises are just part of our culture -- shouldn't you people try to understand where these cultures come from instead of making judgements based on your own perspective?

amiemaldonado

only to racist people...

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