Why do some Singaporeans have a ‘COE’ mentality?
I’m sure you know that if you want to own a vehicle in Singapore, you need a Certificate of Entitlement (COE).
In this article, however, I want to talk about a different kind of COE.
Certificate of Entitlement to a comfortable life?
I’m going to discuss why some Singaporeans believe they have a COE of life.
These people behave as if they’re entitled to a comfortable life, because the world owes it to them.
Through my work, I get to meet people from all walks of life. From the thousands and thousands of people I’ve interacted with, I realize that this sense of entitlement pervades Singaporean society.
(I’m not immune either, so writing this article is a good reminder for me not to have an entitlement mentality!)
Fighting off the entitlement mentality
Some people feel they’re entitled to…
Go on vacation at least once a year
Lead a life that isn’t too stressful
Have a stable job that pays well
Own a car
Have their needs (and sometimes wants, too) taken care of by the government
Eat at a nice restaurant at least once a week
But are we really entitled to these things? I don’t think so.
Without a doubt, there’s room for improvement in Singapore. There’s work to be done in the areas of education, healthcare, public housing and economic growth, among others.
But we can have expectations of other people—and of the government, too—without having an entitlement mentality.
Living in a broken world
Our baseline expectation should be that life is tough, not that life is easy.
Just take a look at what’s happening in the world today.
War.
Corruption.
Social unrest.
Terrorism.
Famine.
Economic uncertainty.
We live in a broken world. It’s a world that’s been broken since the start of human history.
Given this fact, we ought to realize that the norm is to experience brokenness in our personal lives: frustration, confusion and uncertainty.
Life is a struggle?
If you feel that you’re not making enough money, that you’re too stressed, that you’re unhappy, that you’re anxious, that life is a struggle… you’re not alone.
Billions of other people are going through a similar experience.
It takes unwavering commitment to change your mindset and behaviour so that you can combat the natural human condition.
No one owes us a living
The world doesn’t owe anyone a living, especially not people who constantly complain but who refuse to take action to improve their situation.
Neither do your family, friends, employer or the government owe you a living.
We all need to put in time and effort to get what we want in life. There are no shortcuts.
If we’re able to go on vacations, eat at fancy restaurants, own a car, or earn a good salary, then we should count ourselves blessed. We should never take any of these things for granted.
Making meaning in our lives through C.O.E.
Instead of behaving as if we have a COE of life, let’s focus on the C.O.E. that will enable us to lead a meaningful—not necessarily easy, but certainly meaningful—life.
In my opinion, this is the C.O.E. we should concentrate on:
1. Character
Here’s one of my favourite quotes: “Many succeed momentarily by what they know; some succeed temporarily by what they do; few succeed permanently by what they are.”
If you want to attain permanent success, it’s all about what you are, and it’s about who you are. In other words, it’s all about character.
Are you a person of courage?
Do you show respect to people, regardless of their social status?
Do you keep your promises?
Are you teachable?
Are you a person of commitment and perseverance?
Are you diligent?
Are you dependable?
These are the kinds of traits that will ensure your long-term success.
2. Optimism
I’m not referring to blind optimism. Instead, I’m referring to the kind of optimism that has a vision of the world as it could be, while not overlooking the realities of the current situation.
As individuals and as a society, we must dare to try, and dare to fail.
We need to create change daily, rather than just waiting for the government to act.
3. Excellence
Excellence isn’t about being the best. It’s about being your best.
Excellence isn’t about being better than other people. It’s about being better than you were yesterday.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
We need to cultivate a spirit of excellence in our work, but also in the way we love our family, serve our community, and create our legacy.
In closing…
Life isn’t guaranteed to be easy, and it probably won’t be for either you or me.
But that’s good news, because it’s in facing challenges and overcoming setbacks that our lives take on new meaning.
If we focus on the C.O.E. of growing our character, choosing to be optimistic, and embracing a spirit of excellence, I’m certain that we’ll be well on our way toward building a great life.
More than that, we’ll be well on our way toward building a great country, one that isn’t merely defined by its achievements and accolades, but instead by its character and commitment.
Together, I know we can do it.
The time to start is now.
Daniel Wong is a learning and personal development expert, as well as a certified youth counselor. A sought-after speaker and coach, he is also the best-selling author of "The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success". He offers programmes to help students attain exam excellence while also finding happiness and fulfillment, and to empower parents to motivate their unmotivated teenagers. He writes regularly at www.daniel-wong.com. Download his FREE e-books, "The Unhappiness Manifesto: Do You Make These 150 Mistakes In The Pursuit Of Happiness?" and "Singapore Scholarship Guide: The $500,000 Decision". The views expressed are his own.
