I was in a cab recently and the driver was constantly and expertly navigating through the sea of cars, seizing every opportunity to get me to my destination faster and also to get his next fare while providing a smooth ride.

I watched him at work with effortless skill, impressed by his confidence and driving acumen to drive the way he did, engaging his ‘signature strengths’ to the best he could in his vocation as a cabbie.

In the end, he got me to my destination early and I thanked him profusely for his service.

A reflection of your personality?

Personally, I am a defensive driver, or what people jokingly call a ‘slack’ or relaxed driver. A defensive driver’s mindset should be one of graciousness. I prefer coasting along the road(but not hogging the lane), waiting patiently behind cars for my turn to exit the expressway, and taking a detour when I miss an exit.

I dislike taking risk in driving, and I admire those that do so safely with a deftness that speaks of their years of driving experience. Road users who drive in an ‘engaged’ manner have developed a sense of other drivers’ intentions so that they know when to apply their driving skills to get through tough traffic snarls.

A matter of perspective?

From my discussion with a friend who drives in an engaged style, I learnt that he found it a fun experience to treat every drive as a ‘crazy taxi’ game. Whereas for myself, I find it relaxing to put on music and drive in a ‘giving way’ fashion.

Life is very much like the cabbie and the driving scenario. If everyone thought in the same way and drove defensively, the experience of driving would be improved for everyone as the spirit of graciousness will prevail.

However, if everyone started driving in an ‘engaged’ fashion by changing lanes to overtake others, jumping queues at expressway exits, and accelerating when the traffic light is amber, just imagine what kind of messy situation the roads would be in which may cumulate in road rage and vehicle accidents and spoil the day of the many road users.

I had the opportunity to drive in Japan numerous times and found that overall, the spirit of graciousness prevails in the drivers over there. In Tokyo however, the fast paced driving is markedly efficient without exhibiting rudeness like cutting off other drivers or changing lanes abruptly. The profound sense of respect for other road users was evident.

Civilizations rise and fall on cultural ideas

“Civilizations rise and fall on cultural ideas, not materials assets alone…” according to Professor Scott Atran, a professor of anthropology at the University of Oxford and the University of Michigan. A country’s people hold shared values, shared rootedness, a national consciousness, a shared sense of belonging and the interactions with one another within shared spaces, especially in third places. Today’s world is highly globalised.

People increasingly consume content from creators around the globe and absorb ideas that form their identity and shape their beliefs. Thus said, how can we build upon our current national identity as Singaporeans, so that we can go beyond SG60? Singapore provides her citizenry with an efficient and competent bureaucracy, resulting in a safe environment nationwide with low crime and low drug use. Despite criticism, Singapore’s education system upholds meritocratic principles and does not compromise on class mobility.

Closing Thoughts

As a Singaporean, when asking myself if I love Singapore, my answer is, I am concerned for Singapore, and I would like to witness an SG100 and celebrate her achievements not measured only in dollars and cents, but on metrics like happiness and graciousness on roads, and exchanging pleasantries with neighbours and friends. Having an efficiency mindset need not mean that we forgo gracious behaviour. In fact, we should embrace an efficiency mindset (or known colloquially as ‘kiasu’ behaviour), with the caveat that we also adopt positive thinking which translates to gracious behaviour.

Thank you for reading and for your undivided attention! If you enjoyed reading this article, please do spread the word and share this article.