My Beliefs

I would like to begin the E-Portfolio by sharing my beliefs which has influenced me in one way or another.   

I believe in being frank and honest. To me, being politically correct is not a thing I fancy doing. Even though my opinions may appear blatant at times, but they are just an accurate and straightforward way of understanding my views- neither sugar-coated nor made for everyone’s liking.

To some extent I do not believe in senior superiority. It is not that I do not respect people with greater seniority, but I believe in treating people equally. When juniors make mistakes, I will point it out. But when seniors make mistake, I will still point it out. I may appear condescending and disrespectful at times, but that is just what I believe in- treating people equally with respect.

Most importantly, I believe in critical thinking. Having the ability to think critically means being able to think on one’s own feet, able to analyze what one has been told, able to make sound and logical judgments. I believe that critical thinking is a hallmark of an educated mind. Aristotle once said that  “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”. At the end of the day, it does not matter how low our MSGs, but if we lack the necessary thinking skills, then we cannot call ourselves educated. Being educated goes beyond having good results, knowing how to think is the essence of education. Knowing how to think is a skill that has been overlooked by the education system, but to me, it is extremely important. 

Why I Like Humanities

I consider humanities somewhat provocative and mentally stimulating, which may very well explain why I like this subject. Humanities never fail to fascinate me. Throughout my journey of life, anything related to Humanities has somehow challenged the way I think. Are we mentally stimulated first before we ask questions? Or is it because we ask questions, and then we are mentally stimulated? The point is, we ought to find questions to ask.

The other reason why I like humanities is that it is practical. Understanding topics pertaining to society, economics, and history, helps us understand the world around us better. All these issues matter to us, it is the real world that we will be facing, and I want to expose myself to the real world. Learning anything related to the humanities will broaden our horizon and our understanding of the complicated world around us.

Why do we even have to understand this world of ours? It is through understanding this world that we are able to think on our feet. We can’t really call ourselves educated if we do not know how to think for ourselves- accepting whatever that we are told. Having the slightest understanding of this world is, in my opinion, the first step to take if we truly want to call ourselves educated. 

What is Humanities?

To be honest, I never asked myself that question. And when I was asked that question, I answered in a direct yet vague way. Learning humanities is the best way for us to understand and to learn about the world around us. All I wanted was to get a clearer picture of this world and find answers for questions which I have, and just to increase my knowledge.

My pursuit of knowledge, or rather humanities, comes largely from reading. As I hardly have any spare time, most of my reading is done during the holidays or after exams. I told myself that I ought to learn something from every book I read, not just read for the sake of reading. Reading can be a form of entertainment, but if nothing is learnt, I think that it is quite a waste of time. I had this mindset when I entered secondary school, since I understood that time was scarce and precious and we had to make full use of the time we have, which means getting the most out of what we do. 

Books, Books, Books...

I think that I should at least tell you people the kind of books that I read. I am somewhat a fan of Malcolm Gladwell. He may just be a journalist- not some social scientist or economist out there, but his ability to show extraordinary things in the most ordinary of things. He is observant about the world we live in, and presents really fascinating viewpoints. I read Tipping Point, What the Dog Saw, Outliers, and Blink- virtually all of his books. Can his books fall under the category of humanities? Back to basics, if it pertains to some form of social trend or something along those lines, then it should qualify as a humanities book.

I also read Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, which is relatively similar to Gladwell’s books just that it is more “economic” based. I have finished Collapse by Jared Diamond. It is some of the most “factual” book I have ever read. Diamond’s research across continents is simply overwhelming and his passion to find the answers to questions we thought had no answers, is worthy of admiration. I had planned to read Guns, Germs, Steel- the book which answers the root of inequality- during the June Holidays, but I was too busy to read it.

I am currently reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. This book is really relevant to the world I will be facing when I grow up, discussing the impacts of globalization would have on both the developed world and undeveloped world. The thought of having to compete with billions of people in the near future is not a pleasant thought, especially with the rise of India and China. Competition, as much as we all detest it, is necessary for us to improve ourselves. On the bright side, this book provided some career guidance on how we can survive in the future in the face of stiff competition.

Must my journey of humanities be only filled with books? I would not say so. If videos, movies are equally provocative I would not mind them. More importantly, thinkers around the world express their thought through pen and paper initially, and the documentaries come next. Thus, I consider the book to be the most authentic and original form of material from the author. 

Expired Knowledge

There are books out there which explain, for example, the rise and fall of companies. While reading such books, it is important to be “updated”. My father tells me, take a walk into some bookstores today and we can still see books like “The Rise of Nokia”, “What Made Nokia, Nokia” etc… No doubt that Nokia used to be a successful company, but as of now, common sense has the answer.

So what if one fully understands Nokia? The knowledge that he owns is not applicable in today’s world as it is outdated. Apple has outsmarted Nokia, and Nokia’s strategy of making it a success in the past may not work today. In short, knowledge has an expiry date, because some of it is no longer relevant in the world today.

How do I plan to address this problem of learning outdated things? (Not that I’m reading any books on Nokia) I think that analyzing is rather important. Instead of just reading the book, try to read beyond the lines if possible, or rather, think more in depth and really analyze. Paying much attention to the decision making made by the individual and ask further- What were the social context then? What was the problem that they really faced? What was the conventional solution then? These are some questions worth pondering over.

What is more important, is knowing how the apply the knowledge learnt. That’s why, I prefer to choose books which are rather general in nature and do not zoom in specifically on any organization etc. Such books tend to have more potential for application. If we can learn how to apply the knowledge, then the knowledge will never be outdated. The fact that we can relate what we have learnt to different situations and scenarios, means that we have fully understood it and not just “copy and paste”.

I’m trying to achieve till that level of proficiency. 

Model United Nations (MUNs)

My first ever exposure to MUNs was during Term 2 Sabbatical this year. Previously in Sec 1, I had no clue on what exactly MUNs is. Occasionally during the November/December holidays, I will see lots of participants from overseas, as well as rooms in Salt Centre pasted with words like “International Court of Justice”. What on earth are these people doing? I couldn’t stop asking myself.

As the months went by, I somehow got to know the rough idea of MUNs. The idea seems rather fun and interesting. Discussing and debating on various world issues does interest me. Well, I had always thought of the United Nations as an inefficient organization- perhaps the weakness of democracy. I wanted to experience how it was like being in MUNs. Thus, I joined the Sabbatical. My parents never got the idea of MUNs, so there was a certain level of difficulty in explaining what I did during Sabbatical. I summarized it into 2 words: Playing Politics.

Attending the MUNs Sabbatical did impact me in one way or another. I became more aware and conscious when making decisions. What MUNs required us to do is to take on the role of the adopted nation and then propose solutions. My judgments and decisions made as a team must be spot on so that we can write a resolution of certain standard. Other than that, it increased my knowledge and awareness of pertinent issues faced by nations, AEDCs or LEDCs. I had this assumption that MUNs was a debater-dominated field, and that non-debaters like many of us will stand to lose when in MUNs. I was wrong.

MUNs is not just about debating, it involves lobbying, getting support, collaborating with others. To put it simply, MUNs require EQ as well. At the same time, knowing how to think and react quickly is vital. When being questioned, or even challenged, by delegates, the ability to rebut and counter them is important in ensuring that our resolution will not be shot down. 

I was rather surprised that I have gotten an honorable mention, despite facing strong competition from others. Getting this honorable mention does instill some confidence in me- confidence to invest my time into MUNs, and confidence that I will do well in it. Thus, for the upcoming THIMUN, I have registered to be in the Admin Team. THIMUN is a major MUN and I hope that by joining the Admin Team I will be not only be able to learn more about MUNs, but also hone by events organizing and  planning skills which will benefit me since I’m in council.