One thing I don't like about Singaporeans as a whole is that we have this tendency to hold back what we have in mind. In short, we just don't speak up.

But wait, let's go deeper into the issue. We don't speak up because when we say the supposedly wrong thing (supposed because there is no such thing as a wrong opinion in the first place), we are putting ourselves into the danger of being bitched, bad-mouthed and what-have-you.

Yes danger. Because relationships of any kind may be strained should we say the wrong thing, or rather the other party misinterpretes what we trying to bring across. This has been proven and yes it's because people make an ass out of you and me that this kinda shit happens.

In order to avoid this kind of complications, people always take the easy way out and say the politically correct answer. Whenever they anticipate a controversial topic coming in their way, they will say 'No comment'.

They just don't wanna make things worse you see. Aww.. how angelic and heroic their action is. So much so that it's worthy of a Nobel Prize.

But it doesn't just stop there. The person who brought up the controversial topic, the very same one who is left clueless in no man's land because of the prompt 'No comment' answer, is subjected to countless bitching behind the back for putting forth such a debatable stand. By who? None other than the Nobel prize winner of course.

It a vicious circle and made worse by the majority of the people who aren't willing to stand be and be counted. Instead, they just follow suit and nodded their heads in unison with those who are much more vocal than others even when they know that they are in the wrong.

YES, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE IN THE WRONG.

Why can't you just go up to the person and reason out with him/her instead of giving that I-hate-you kinda look everytime your eyes meet each other? Everyone has their own reasons for doing something. The reasons behind what they do is very subjective. Ego, emotions, circumstances, etc. You can't be narrow-minded and worse of all make an ass out of you and me!

You talk of being outspoken and all so that you can have the competitive edge when you go out to the working world. And that we Asians are lagging behind our European and American conterparts in terms of being spontaneous and the ability to speak up.

But the truth is far worse than it really is. It takes courage for someone to speak up. What more when they know that they may not be an everyone's-best-friend material should they go against the majority. And this affects their social life, when group work is concerned, etc.

You become a public enemy no. 1 just because you wanna have an edge over a typical Singaporean when you get out to work? That I have to take off my hat to you, mate.

It's a collective action and takes much cooperation for someone to just learn how to speak up. True, you have to initiate it yourself. But at the end of the day, you are still made of flesh and blood. You are human afterall. Egos get broken, self-esteem plummets down, confidence crashes.

It's discouraging. But that doesn't mean it's not worth the try.

And in the light of speaking up, don't make an ass out of you and me. Clarify, get the truth from the person's mouth his/herself. Why confine yourself to getting third party information which may not be true at all in the first place?

And should you not already notice, that's one of my mottos in life: Don't assume.