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Favorite Quotes - Local |
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About Me
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My Photo Gallery
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Favorite Quotes - Local
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Visited Countries
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Favorite Quotes - Foreign
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China - Suzhou
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Country of original ? 
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| Personal
Favorite Quotes : (In random)
What's your favorite personal
Quotes ? |
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Anybody
who want to prosper in this world must have ambition, ambition comes from a thought and the enthusiasm and determination to carry out that thought. He who has an ambition will do his best in order to satisfy himself. The desire to be popular and to be liked by people is a natural human feeling. It is also natural to want to avoid causing to others the pain and suffering which punishment involves. If we bring up the army guided entirely by these decent human feelings, what we will get is what Sun Tze called " a collection of spoilt children utterly useless for war" My ambition is to become an engineer, China needs engineers, scientists, inventors and sailors badly. She has not a respectable navy and air force and so to have these things she needs people to produce them, and keep them going. So China needs soldiers, sailors and airmen to help her become one of the best nations in the world. She needs useful men, and for me engineering is the thing. |
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We,
the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, Regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. For us, a sound foreign policy is one which ensures a maximum of friends and a minimum of enemies. Do not ask us to take your friends for our friends, or your enemies for our enemies. The best course of action for the trustees of tiny Singapore in a wicked world was to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. |
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I
think that if a person is not happy in his job that he should resign, because it is better for the organization, it is better for the individual. They are human problems which you have got to solve. These are micro problems if you look at it from a national point of view, but they are huge problems to the person who is affected. There are so many ways in which we can make sure that we look after all segments of our society. We have always taken a very hard-headed view towards our economy, of our port and that is right. But now we have reached a certain level of development, We also have to look after the social needs of people. “希望这样的新形势能够让我们再领先20年，到时将会有新的挑战， 我们又必须再重造整个经济。 因此，这个世界没有什么是静止不变的，你必须时时环视周围的情况， 并告诉自己说这个方法让我们取得今天的成就，虽然它很有价值， 但是如果我们墨守成规，继续照用20年，我们就会被抛在后头。” |
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In
Singapore, we spend our time praising people who follow the rules. People should not be forced to follow the rules. If you do so, the good ones will leave; the ones who follow the rules are not necessarily the best. We're not asking them to break rules to steal money. Break rules to get a job done. The greatest danger we have in government is that as we become developed, a lot of attention is paid to due process, which means you don't need thinking people. Due process becomes a religious pursuit. If routine replaces imaginative policy thinking, the finest talent will exist Singapore. It is death by due process. If good people leave, then there is no good team to bring forward the next curve of growth. You think I am crazy ? The easiest thing for me was to do nothing. I could remain popular like that. What choice do we have ? If we don't start training Singapore researchers now, the job outlook for Singaporeans in this area could look very bleak. I have purpose in what I do and I do not hesitate. You lack the drive and personality, you don't get to go ahead. I don't want whining Singapore boys. They are not mature even though they have national service and are over 22 years old when they take up undergraduate studies. They give me so much trouble and waste our precious time. There is no better way to secure the future than to go out and create it - (Heart Work) There is something better that will continue to distinguish us from the rest. This is the inexplicable quality called passion. The passion to create, to push boundaries, to clear jungles and even to push back the sea. The strategic : It's like using a machine gun to get a mosquito in a room full of people. 人才是否对新加坡有归属感，关键在于新加坡是否重视他们。这是我的信念。 “你如果在这里受到重视，这就是你的家园。新加坡人， 特别是新加坡的高层领导应该对他们感到骄傲， 赋予他们机会和责任去建设未来的新加坡。新加坡必须是由新加坡人打造的。” It is better to have to restrain a stallion than to have to kick a mule. Don't look for a career, look for a challenge. Money doesn't bother me. I'm not broke, I'm not rich, but I'm happy. So long as the work is fun and you're happy, just do it. If it's just money alone, might as well rob a bank. Hire good people. Give them enough space. But don't take your eye off them. So I don't bug you but I know what you're doing. I never give up. Why should I give up ? Once I decide something, I do it. If I got something to do, I'll do it with a sense of purpose. We cannot just do production, We've got to do things with technology. Create our own know-how. People must be driven. I can't stand people waiting for instructions. If you're self driven, you can do a lot of work. |
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How
can you formulate policies when you don't even know the nuts and bolts
? That comes with a bit of having your nose to the ground. Of course, don't spend the whole time doing it, otherwise it becomes too pedestrian. We should bring in a foreigner if his educational level is more than the Singapore average. If you are just bringing him at the same skill level, what is the value-add to Singapore ? For a lot of white collar people, if you lose your job at age 45, it's very difficult for you to find a niche again. Our government ought to learn - We are very poor in managing talent. Never be an intellectual dictator, always tell the people, " I trust you, give it your best shot" "What's that for ?" He is hopping mad that the Government spends tens of millions of dollars on the Formula One race when it will not lift a bit more Public Assistance rate higher. And yet you are so penny-pinching when it comes to helping the poor with a bit more. because you talk very high mindedly about losing the work ethic. It's all a matter of priorities, let's have a sense of balance. Because now the world talks about global competition and a knowledge based economy. How do you become a knowledge based economy except through science and technology ? As a result, if the cream of the education system goes into Shenton Way instead of the technology and industrial parks, I think we are done for. By slotting, by training our elite in just a limited number of institutions, We are missing something because the world is not so simple. But in Singapore's case we seem to have inverted it, so the top 5 per cent support this huge mass of people. I think something has got to give. It's like a top spinning. If the economy is spinning very fast, the equilibrium is maintained; but the moment it slows down, all the social divisions will emerge. The world is what you make of it. So you just go out, grab opportunities, grab education and help to build the nation of Singapore. I never regret. I've made mistakes, yes, but no regrets. Don't look back. Look to the future. I'm an optimist. I'm not a pessimist. I quoted Dr. Winsemius : You soak in the pond, When the sun is shining and the water is below your nose, you think everything is hunky-dory. But the moment the water reaches the nose, you think it's all gloom and doom. Singapore has no sense of balance. You swing from euphoria to depression. |
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We are moving faster and faster into many
uncharted territories, where there are no rules. We do not want to be paralyzed by waiting for the rule to be formulated before moving - it will be too late. We have to discard our NUTS mentality and learn to live in a new world where there are no clear rules. Not that it will be a cowboy lawless land. There will be broad guiding principles such as common goals, objectives and basic integrity to follow. The rest, we have to look at the big picture and decide what is the best way to do a job, to achieve our goals. Don't follow rules set by others. Set your own rules and you are in control. Set road block so others cannot copy you. Do not commit to more than one thing. Kiasu-ism. “要帮整个社会，是政府的工作。我们可以帮助的，是些有缘分的对象。" 沈望傅坦言他对新加坡的前景感到担忧， 认为我们最大的危机，在于不承认自己面对危机，还整天说样样都很好。 |
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Some people want to do great things, some people want
to have a bit of fun, but still don't mind contributing. I belong to the latter category. I recognize that there will be hewers of wood and drawers of water. But let's treat the hewers of wood and drawers of water with some compassion and some empathy and realize that they are actually just as important to us. When the end approaches and we look back on our lives, will we regret the latest mobile phone or luxury car that we did not acquire ? Or would we prefer to die at peace with ourselves, knowing that we have lives filled with love, friendship and goodwill, that we have helped some of our fellow voyagers along the way and that we have tried our best to leave this world slightly better place than how we found it ? We know which is the correct choice - and it is within our power to make that choice. To a considerable degree, our happiness is within our own control, and we should not follow the herd blindly. Straits Times 30th July 2008 I dislike intensely the elitist attitude of some in our upper socio-economic class. I have been accused of reverse snobbery because I tend to avoid the wealthy who flaunt their wealth ostentatiously or do not help the less fortunate members of our society. I treat all people I meet as equals, be it a truck driver friend or a patient and friend who belongs to the richest family in Singapore. I appraise people not by their usefulness to me but by their character. I favor those with integrity, compassion and courage. I feel too many among us place inordinate emphasis on academic performance, job status, appearance and presentation. 'Listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story,' the Desiderata tells us. It is advice we should all heed - especially leaders, especially doctors. I speak out when I see something wrong that no one appears to be trying to correct. Not infrequently, I try to right the wrong. In doing so, I have stepped on the sensitive toes of quite a few members of the establishment. As a result, I have been labelled 'anti-establishment'. Less kind comments include: 'She dares to do so because she has a godfather'. I am indifferent to these untrue criticisms; I report to my conscience; and I would not be able to face myself if I knew that there was a wrong that I could have righted but failed to do so. I have no protective godfather. My father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, would not interfere with any disciplinary measures that might be meted out to me. And I am not anti-establishment. I am proud of what Singapore has achieved. But I am not a mouthpiece of the government. I am capable of independent thought and I can view problems or issues from a perspective that others may have overlooked. After all, both the Bible and Confucius tell us not to treat others in a way that we ourselves would not want to be treated. That is a moral precept that many societies accept in theory, but do not carry out in practice. I wish Singapore could be an exception in this as it has been in many other areas where we have surprised others with our success. Straits Times 28th June 2009 "Thank you my friends" The next category of friends are people whom chance brought together with me. These include multi-millionaires, as well as truck drivers, sport trainers, physiotherapists and security officers. I treat the latter no differently from the way I treat friends who might be thought of conventionally as my social equals. I have long ignored social convention, and I have never calculated how useful someone can be to me before accepting him or her as a friend. But despite my many friends, I have always known that I face my own destiny alone. Friends may make the final journey easier but each of us has to face our end by oneself. Perhaps those who believe in God take comfort that there is an Almighty who is with them to the end. But I have seen many fervent believers of different religions face their impending demise with terror. |
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You
need a vision, and you need targets. I set myself a target and reward myself when I achieve that target. We should make the best of our lives. Don't live a half-full live. Enjoy what success can give you. The most important thing is to be happy and have good health and energy to enjoy life. |
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Many
doctors in the private sector don't want to take on cases where
the outcome can be bad. But my attitude is diffirent. I am not afraid to take on challenging cases. At the end of the day, what matter most is that I have been true to my principles and am albe to sleep well at night with my decisions.
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陈建民医生
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“人生原本就是一场艰苦的自我竞赛，绊倒我们的，永远是藏在内心那个消极的敌人。 手和脚可以残缺，心和脑却不能。遇上蹇运时，哭诉命运不济是于事无补的， 我们必须将潜能推向极限，化梦境为现实。” |
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Douglas Foo : |
We
need to devote time to say hello to our neighbors, take care of our
health, and nurture relationships with our family and friends. Such things make the journey of life an enjoyable one. |
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Ewen
Chia : |
If
you have the passion and dream, you can drive the business forward, something you cannot do when you are an employee. It is an extension of your creativity and the willingness to provide value to people. |
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You
can never anticipate what may happen tomorrow, so my philosophy is that I dare to try and go all out to get what I've set my sight on. |
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Empower
your staff and then let them get on with the task at hand. I don't tend to give specific instructions, If they have the right attitude, they will usually make the right decisions. |
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Dr.
Seet AiMay |
Singaporeans
should learn to complain less. We would be a much happier and healthier society if we counted our blessings more often. We're always saying "not enough, we want more" But it doesn't come from the Government. The Government can only lead. Ultimately, the "more" comes from the work we do. |
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Work Hard, Talk Less, Do More, Be Passionate. Being big, you also have bigger headaches in everything, and the biggest headache is in dealing with human beings. I am not complaining. I am not afraid of hard work. What I am afraid of is being mis-understood. I want to lighten my burden at work, but if you are not strong in a certain thing, You should be taking instruction and implementing them. |
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郭令裕 |
有人终生长戚戚，有人活得坦荡荡，关键不是贫与富，而是人生看法两相异 人若找不出机会重新认识自己，终究会是迷失方向的人 |
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Don't
think too hard and plan too much. If you wait for everything to be in
place, you might miss the boat. Someone else could have the same idea and turn it into roaring success. |
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You
have done what you wanted to do and you have made a difference to
other people's lives. You can do a lot of things on your own and be satisfied but if.. you just do it for yourself, well, then it's not quite complete. 新加坡虽是小国，但我们还是有义务参与一分，因为我们和世界各国共依存。 如果别人有困难而我们不愿意伸出援手，将来我们有难，我们就不能要求别人帮忙。” It's our responsibility. We are an island, but in fact we depend on the world. If we don't help out when other people have problems, we cannot expect other people to help us, when we have problem. - Banda Aceh, Meulaboh |
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When
you are Singapore and your existence depends on performance --
extraordinary performance, better than your competitors -- but that performance disappears because the system on which it is based is eroded, then you've lost everything. So our future depends on Singaporeans realizing that we always have to be different, cleaner, more transparent, more efficient, always better. Then we'll survive the competition against those with bigger girth, oil, gas, forest, rivers, whatever. And the next 40 years, if we heed those principles, we should do as well as the last 40 year, provided we change each time the world changes. We cannot be slow. The speed with which we can react to changed circumstances will decide, whether we survive and continue to prosper" - 3rd May 2003 “我们能否生存和持续繁荣将取决于我们对问题作出反应的速度。” No one owes us a living, so we must make a living for ourselves and our children. Could I have lived my life differently ? Maybe yes, but probably not, at each stage, I made what was then the best choice. Having taken that decision, I changed direction and there was no turning back. I cannot say that I planned my life. That's why I feel life is a great adventure : exciting, unpredictable, and at times exhilarating. You slacken, you choose the easy way and you'd be finished. When you do something, if you worry about what people will think of you, what history will record your worth, then you are not concentrating on the job. A job has to be done, do it. Let people decide later, history will make its own judgment. That's my view. So I have been abused, excoriated, denounced, but I do what I have to do, and at the end, let people decide. (Beijing - 21st June 2004) Eat less than you want to, work more than you need to, sleep well. (Beijing - 21st June 2004) |
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The
most important thing is that you have to respect an individual, whether he's got six Cs or six As and whether he's a brain surgeon or a dustman. I think we should give him the same respect. If you don't give respect to your own citizens, I think you condemn them forever. |
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Edmund Ng : |
People
can look down on you but you shouldn't look down on yourself. And if you were to put in the hard work, the dedication to improve yourself, you should be able to excel. |
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I
don't challenge the status quo for the sake of it. You always need to question and it's not a bad thing to oppose. Being the opposition can be constructive, if you've done your homework and you know what you're saying, I encourage anyone with ideas to do that. |
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Since
we cannot please every body, we should just strive to do our best. My conviction is that politics is a process, you come in for a long haul and don't expect instant success. We are prepared to lose. We have lose before. This is the spirit and that's why we survive till today. “你必须作好长久投入的准备，不可以希望一蹴而就。 我要说的是，我们已有失败的准备，而我们也曾经失败，但却锲而不舍。 这是我们从1957年生存到今天的原因。我们就有这样的精神。” |
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Many people don't dare (to take risks), because they think of what they have to lose. I follow my gut. |
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翁燕萍 |
放弃也是对的
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新加坡社会一向过于注重成绩、成果，忘了什么是过程。其实，在做任何事项的过程中，一个人究竟学习了多少、成长了多少，往往才是最重要的。如果在过程中有所领悟，可以使一个人更坚强，没有抵达终点不是件惭愧的事。最怕是伤害了自己，还伤了身边人的心，这样最不值得了。 人到了身体的极限，才会看见自己的脆弱。看见了自己的脆弱，才会了解到生命的可贵。了解了生命的可贵，才开始问自己什么才是对自己最重要的。是自己的理 想、梦想吗？是金钱、社会地位吗？终于开始懂得珍惜自己了，才发现原来如果连自己都照顾不好自己的话，怎么去照顾自己身边所爱的人？经历了生命的垂危，梦 想、理想、金钱和社会地位，突然之间变得不那么重要了！ |
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黄木荣 |
“今日的新加坡人要做生意，实在很困难，因为政府（相关公司）也做生意。新加坡的青年人， 看来没希望再当老板了，似乎没有什么可做的，一些人不是开咖啡店就是开酒吧…… 除非你能学（创新科技集团创办人）沈望傅，研发自己的科技，并通过挂牌扩大业务。” |
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陈怀亮 |
沉迷于眼前利益的人，不会懂得细水长流的意义，更不可能创造什么持久绵长的成就。 |
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Lim Hock Chee
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Start
with your heart, find your strengths and focus on them. Fixed your weaknesses as you go along, and keep your feet on the ground. |
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Cavinder Bull : |
We
need to have an attitude of public service so that wherever we are, we will be aware that Singapore cannot simply be left to the Government to run. If we all participate in whatever roles are presented to us, then Singapore will be the richer for it. |
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At
the end of the day, the most important thing is your attitude. If your thinking is open and cheerful, then this world is a paradise. |
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韩山元
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作为老华校生，吃了几十年不懂英文的亏，长期被边缘化，一点气馁的感受也没有，那是骗人的。 但是豪情已不似旧时，花开花落两由之。 我们只是想保留自己的一个精神家园，那就是对中华文化的眷恋与执着，这是老华校生死守的最后一块阵地。 |
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何濛 : |
人生有开始乃因为有结束。年老是人生的自然过程，每个人都朝老年的方向逐步走去，年轻的岁月，壮年的风华，中年的光景累积连贯着老年的境况。年轻之中也有老年，老年之中也有新生。我们必须老而不衰，心灵丰富，坚挺如橡树，思想前瞻，不懈努力，终生学习，才能与时并进。 |
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LTA Nigel CHAN : |
The bottom line of the Armed Forces is not about
profits. It's not economically driven like firms. It's about defending the people, the country and the lives we're living. |
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Man Shu Sum : |
We
need to move forward with an open mind. A lot of things in life we cannot choose, but we can choose to live positively and work positively. But we need to turn reality into motivation. |
| Reene Ho-Phang : | I
Left to take a corporate vacation - not to be less busy, but to be busy with things I want. I want to live life the way I want it, not be dictated by routine, and have time for myself and be out there to tell people my dreams. |
| Charlie Giang : | Just
pack your bags, get out there and just go for it. forget about waiting for government help. |
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