Goodness I didn't realise I haven't been updating for such a while.

Time has just been flying past me and I've been so insanely busy haven't had a breather in such a long time.

So I was reading this article in The Straits Times about "Elitism" and being an "elite".
I found it very resonating.

What is Elitism?

Here's what Wikipedia says:

Elitism is the belief or attitude that the people who are considered to be the elite — a selected group of persons with outstanding personal abilities, wealth, specialised training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously, or that these are persons whose views should be regarded as carrying the most weight, or, more simply, these people are best fit to govern or whose views and/or actions are mostly likely to be constructive.

Alternatively, the term elitism could be used to describe a situation in which power is in fact concentrated in the hands of an elite, whether rightly or not.
Elitism is often used pejoratively to describe a general mindset of arrogance or disregard for the general non-elite public (Meritocracy, a special kind of elitism, usually does not carry this connotation).

Here are extracts/ pullquotes from the article itself:

"We go for meritocracy, but we must not end up selfish."
--> PM Lee

"The Singapore conundrum seems to be that while few disagree with meritocracy, many have issues with the elite this system produces."

Sometimes I doubt we are really, truly meritocratic. Which basically means "A form of social system in which power goes to those with superior intellects" sometimes we're more bureaucratic and this system usually overrides meritocracy. From what I see and experience anyway.

"Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science referring to the way that the administrative execution and enforcement of legal rules are socially organized. This office organization is characterized by standardized procedure (rule-following), formal division of responsibility, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships. " - Wikipedia

"But the word elitism describes an attitude that is characterized by an "often exaggerated in-group sense of superiority" and a dismissive view of the abilities of those excluded from this in-group, he says."
--> He being Dr Kenneth Paul Tan of the National University of Singapore.

I think I've experienced this in so many places of work and educational institutions its simply insane. There's always the "elite"/"popular" group. The ones who are treated differently and much better than everyone else. Scholars are one of those you can't help but feel fed up with I mean dammit you have everything handed to you on a bloody silver platter but at the same time you wish perhaps wonder that you could even be considered on their level and what its like? Its definitely not easy living up to so many people's expectations of you.

"Singaporeans, he says, have a "love-hate relationship" with the elite in charge."
- ->Sociologist, Alexius Pereira

Yea think this is so damn true.

"Says Ms Teo: "Elitism is a term some Singaporeans use to describe an over-emphasis on academic achievement. There's a sense of discomfort that only the academically talented are nurtured...under the present system, to the exclusion of other talents."

Again very true.
Sigh, I do like the word "conundrum" used coz it is indeed one. Basically between the devil and the deep blue sea. Though we aren't the only ones, only countries indulging in such elitism but really is it necessary to have such a deep divide between us? Our educational system though attempting to move away from such clear discrimination has a long way to go to truly remove such ideals deeply entrenched within our minds.

As much as I think the furore over a certain young lady's comments about getting out of her uncaring elite face (something along those lines anyway), as simply ludicrous. Why such an uproar over this? Why not uproar over parents teaching their childrean against calling coloured people 'apu-na -na'? So many other more important matters to have an uproar about and you choose this miniscule topic. Is it really so surprising that our youth, the people around us have become desensitised? Proud bordering on arrogant? Some outright in your face arrogant in fact?
See here's my take to all this.
After pride/ arrogance comes a very big fall. So I say good luck to you.

Trust me on this, I've seen it happen before my very eyes to people who were very big shots crumbled to almost nothing and you watch them with amusement coz the lesson learnt is hard. Truly hard.

I've had my own falls and boy did I learn. Sometimes I find myself bordering on arrogance again simply because I worked so freaking hard to regain my pride and that's why sometimes I forget. It's easy to compare with people who SEEM to have it easy.

So pardon moi. I'm learning just like everyone else.