SINGAPORE: Singapore has been deemed a successful country, with individuals seemingly achieving all of their goals and aspirations in life. However, a Redditor wondered about the uncomfortable truths that people do not usually admit while living in Singapore. 

For some, the pressure, stress, unhealthy mindset, and being expensive have been some of the harsh truths that people need to know and experience when living in said country. 

“Rat race all day, every day. Achieve what you want, or keep dreaming that you’ve already achieved what you want. Then wake up to reality and suffer,” one netizen admitted. In relation to this comment, a netizen claimed that Singapore is a country that prioritises businesses, and because the country has no natural resources, manpower is the resource, resulting in people working long hours. 

“We’re programmed to be as close as possible to a society of working machines. Many working folks do not have hobbies – or at least are unable to access them frequently enough. Waking up, working, going home just to sleep. Repeat. Being stuck in the grind is the best way to confirm that we are merely cogs in the machine that is this society,” a netizen stated. 

Moreover, a comment declared that Singapore is only enjoyable as a foreigner, because there is no need to serve NS, one can buy a house as a PR and can come back to Singapore for healthcare as a PR even if they do not stay in the country. 

“Statistically, most of us are just average, but we always think we deserve ‘above average’ anything,” one concluded. 

This thread shows that people who are working hard in Singapore might feel heavy and alone, but being open about it can give hope—learning from each other’s experiences and finding that work-life balance that will lead to a truly happy life. 

This article (‘Everyone seems so successful in Singapore’: Netizen asks what harsh truths people avoid) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A seemingly simple question posted on Reddit has struck a nerve with many Singaporeans: what’s so wrong with being “just okay” at work?

The post, shared on the /askSingapore subreddit, came from a young working adult who felt increasingly out of step with workplace expectations. While they were content with their current job, pay and quality of life, they found themselves surrounded by colleagues and managers who constantly pushed for more output, more innovation, more ambition.

At the heart of their frustration was a simple thought: if something isn’t broken, why fix it?

The pressure to be more

The writer described a workplace culture where doing the job well wasn’t enough. There was an unspoken expectation to overdeliver, improve constantly, and stand out.

Even when enhancements led to confusion among users, their manager remained firm that pushing for more was the right approach. It reflected a broader mindset many Singaporeans are familiar with: Success is tied to relentless improvement and measurable achievement.

This pressure doesn’t just come from bosses. It often comes from peers, family, and society at large. The idea that one should always be striving for something bigger can make contentment feel like complacency.

“There’s nothing wrong with being mediocre”

The post quickly drew a wave of responses, many of them surprisingly supportive. “There’s nothing wrong with being mediocre as long as you’re fine with it. It’s your life, live as you wish,” one commenter wrote, echoing a sentiment that personal satisfaction should matter more than external expectations.

Another offered a more placating, but philosophical take: “Mediocre sounds negative, replace it with ‘adequate’.” In other words, perhaps the issue isn’t the lifestyle itself, but the label we attach to it. Perhaps it’s the way society has shaped our self-perception that forces us to prioritise things like “doing more”, because doing otherwise is a form of failure.

Others challenged the very idea of what success means. One user pointed out, “You’re not mediocre. You just realise that there is more meaning to life than chasing a career. No one died with their grave marked as ‘best employee’.”

It’s a reminder that for many, work is just one part of life. It is not the defining metric of self-worth.

A clash of mindsets

Still, not everyone agreed.

“For a mediocre person, being driven scares them. For a driven person, being mediocre scares them,” one commenter noted, highlighting a fundamental difference in how people view ambition.

Another added a practical perspective: “Well, there are consequences for doing the bare minimum… namely, risking being irrelevant and unemployed in the work context.”

These responses reflect a tension many workers face. On one hand, there is a desire for balance, stability and personal happiness. On the other, there is a real need to remain competitive and employable in a fast-moving economy.

Success, perception, and self-worth

What makes this conversation resonate is how deeply tied work is to identity. In many societies, especially in places like Singapore, career success is often seen as a reflection of personal value. Promotions, pay raises, and recognition become markers not just of professional progress, but of self-worth.

So when someone chooses not to chase these markers, it can feel like they are going against the grain.

But as some commenters pointed out, that choice can also be a form of clarity.

“Not an issue unless it risks survival. Just opinion,” one user wrote, suggesting that as long as basic needs are met, the rest becomes a personal decision rather than a societal obligation.

Finding your own definition of “enough”

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the discussion is that there is no single “correct” way to approach work. For some, ambition and constant growth bring fulfilment. For others, stability, meaningful work and time outside the office matter more.

The challenge lies in recognising that these paths are different, not better or worse.

Choosing to be “adequate” in a world that celebrates overachievement is not necessarily a lack of drive. Sometimes, it’s a conscious decision to prioritise other parts of life.

And in a culture that often equates success with more, learning to define what “enough” looks like for yourself might be one of the hardest (and arguably the most important) things to do.

Read also: Singapore-based worker asks whether to take a 40% pay raise now or stay for bigger long-term gains

This article (When doing your job ‘isn’t enough’: Reddit debate on pressure to go further) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Are long working hours and rigid schedules leaving parents with little time to raise their own children?

In a recent online post, one working mum shared how her daily routine leaves her feeling like she barely gets to be there for her toddler, a situation many parents here may find all too familiar.

She described her typical day, saying, “We drop our toddler at childcare at 8 a.m. every day, and on the days I go to the office, I only get home at 7 p.m. My parents, God bless them, fetch him from childcare and care for him after that. By the time I come home, we have about 1.5 hours together before he sleeps.”

According to her, it has been quite tough emotionally. She spends around 11 hours a day away from a child she deeply wanted, and even when she is working from home, she is busy with calls and deadlines. While weekends give her more time with her child, she feels that two days out of seven are simply not enough.

Her worries go beyond just the day-to-day. She said she is concerned about whether she will still be able to build a strong bond with her child over time, especially when he grows older and enters primary school.

“I wonder how this is going to work, especially when he grows older and enters preschool. How does one successfully parent a child when you are not around most of the time? Would that child even confide in you? How are you supposed to nurture and support them when most of their care is outsourced?” she wrote.

She added that she knows this arrangement is actually very common in Singapore, with many families relying on grandparents, helpers, or student care. Still, she could not help but question it.

“What’s the point of having a child if you don’t even spend time with them in their growing years?” she wonders. 

At the same time, she feels like there is no real way out. “There’s just zero flexibility in working hours. I can’t even leave early to fetch him if I wanted to. I once listened to a podcast where a politician said she made it a point to stop all meetings at 5 p.m., so she could pick up her kid. I scoffed at that.” 

“Like hello, not everyone is a high flyer who can set their own timings. Anyway, I digress. Quitting is not an easy decision due to financial reasons. The economy is so bad,” she shared.

Ending her post on a more vulnerable note, she asked if anyone had advice, writing, “Does anyone have words of wisdom?”

“You cannot have your cake and eat it too, so something has to give.”

Under the Reddit post, many users said they could relate to what the mother was going through and shared similar experiences from their own lives.

One commented, “I’m in the same boat. Except I get home at 8 every day, by which time my toddler is very tired. We have about 1 waking hour daily together, which is spent on getting ready for school or bed. I feel guilty and bittersweet when I see how much he grows day to day, and I wasn’t there to see the growing process.”

Another wrote, “The working culture is indeed not forgiving. I switched to part-time to care for my newborn and 3 y/o. When the finances got tight, I tried to look for a full-time job when my kids were 3 and 5; it was hard. They’d ask about my career gap, if I have kids, who would be caring for my kids besides me, if I would consider hiring a helper, etc.”

Several others suggested she consider switching to a less demanding role, even if it comes with a pay cut.

One said, “You cannot have your cake and eat it too, so something has to give. If spending time with your child is most important, then you have to sacrifice your career.”

Another shared, “I felt the same when my firstborn arrived. So I quit my job when I was due for promotion and my career was going smoothly. I figured I can always earn money in the future, one way or another, but I will never get my children’s childhood back, and 99% of the time, I didn’t regret my decision. Went from 2 incomes to 1. Best decision of my life.”

In other news, a female employee shared on Reddit that she was unexpectedly placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) without any concrete reason.

The 27-year-old said she had been in her role for four years, during which no major issues or performance concerns were raised.

Read more: SG employee placed on PIP after 4 years: ‘Is this just a step before getting fired?’

This article (‘What’s the point of having a child if you don’t even spend time with them?’: Singapore working mum says she only gets 1.5 hours daily with toddler after 11-hour workdays) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE/MALAYSIA: A Reddit thread on r/JobsMY has resonated with many working adults, as it asks: “What’s the most useful thing a senior told you at work that stuck with you until today?”

The answers were sharp, practical, and a little sobering, with many centred on one theme: work is important, but it’s not everything.

Some shared advice about work performance. Others focused on survival in office politics. A few say work can still be meaningful if the culture is right. Together, the responses form a snapshot of how people really navigate working life today.

“No one is indispensable… Everyone is replaceable…”

Several comments stressed that no job is permanent. One worker recalled being told that everyone, even a chief executive, can be replaced. That idea stayed with him for years and helped him recover from the loss of a dream job.

Another echoed the same point, stating that companies do move on quickly, with or without you, making it easier for workers to also walk away when a role no longer feels right for them.

This tension runs throughout the thread, as some have come to see work as a transaction, while others still seek or want meaning in it.

A different comment added that work matters, but life outside work matters more. Family and home are where a person is truly valued.

“Work quality matters way more than quantity…”

A recurring lesson was to do less but do it well. One intern was told he was taking on too many tasks just to please everyone. His work quality dropped. Since then, he has focused on doing fewer things properly.

Another shared a similar idea: consistent performance beats short bursts of high effort. Deliver steadily, and you stay in control of your workload.

It’s a step away from hustle culture with a message that output matters, but so does how it is done.

“Work colleagues are not your friends…”

Many comments dealt with navigating workplace dynamics. A few pieces of advice that stood out were: colleagues aren’t always your friends, but be polite nevertheless; just do your job; and go home.

Others agreed, noting that workplace relationships can change at a moment’s notice due to conflicts of interest.

Still, not everyone agreed with this view. One commenter said friendships at work can make life more meaningful. The difference often comes down to culture and personal experience, so there’s no single rule, but the caution is evident.

“Cover your own back…”

Several workers shared advice about documentation and accountability. “Cover your own back” came up repeatedly for workplace protection. The advice given was to place instructions in writing. Confirm decisions over email. Keep black and white records, always.

One worker described sending follow-up emails after verbal instructions, copying managers in. It was to protect from blame when things went wrong.

Another said that meetings should always end with written notes and ownership, as depending on human memory alone is unreliable in many workplaces. Written records would be safer in this instance.

“Google-search for solutions first before asking others…”

A few comments focused on initiative. One manager advised bringing solutions along with the problems at hand because making complaints is easy, but providing solutions requires thought and ownership.

Another said proposals or suggestions should be mostly worked out before presenting them, as leaders prefer ideas that are close to execution.

Even basic advice like “Google first before asking” points to the same idea, because effort matters, and preparation earns respect.

“Take care of yourself…”

Not all advice was about work performance. Some focused on well-being. One senior told a colleague to stop skipping lunch. Work can wait. That one-hour break improved his energy for the rest of the day.

Another warned against bringing work home every night, as it’s unsustainable in the long run.

A different comment cut through the stress entirely. Most jobs are not life-and-death. Do your best, but keep things in proportion.

These are simple reminders, but they carry weight over time.

“Become the kind of senior you once respected…”

Some advice looked further ahead. One supervisor pointed out that fear holds a person back. That comment pushed him to take risks, from interviews to new roles.

Another said if company policies seem unfair, work your way up and change them instead of just complaining.

There was also a call to become the kind of senior you once respected. That idea suggests long-term thinking, beyond the day-to-day workplace survival.

Work is part of life, but not the whole of it

The discussion connected with many because it strips away corporate language. It shows how people actually think about work after years of experience.

All the advice shared is unpolished. It is practical, and it comes from mistakes, stress, and hindsight.

For many, the biggest change of mindset is this: work is part of life, but not the whole of it. Work performance, politics, and personal limits all need to be carefully managed together.

Companies move on—and so should you

Do your job well. Keep records. Stay aware of office dynamics. Take care of your time and energy.

And don’t forget: The company will move on with or without you—and so should your career choices and life’s path with or without the company. Don’t stay stuck. Protect your peace. Keep moving forward. Rise with high spirits.

This article (‘The most useful thing a senior told me at work’ — Workers share the advice that ‘stuck with them until today’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.