i'm re-reading Blink, which is a thoroughly interesting book. In one of the conversations written inside, an economist defines: "the real me is the me revealed by my actions". Naturally, i agree whole-heartedly.
One of the issues that i like to ponder about, is the inconsistency between what we think we believe in and what we do. This issue spans the various aspects of life, from our faiths to what we choose to eat, etc. And it's not abt being hypocritical, which to me is a conscious decision to say one thing but do another. Rather, i think most of the time, these inconsistencies occur at a sub-conscious level, becos we have different preferences inside us which are incompatible and we are not thorough enough to sort them out. It is also an observation i've made that pple who overcome these inconsistencies tend to be rather successful at what they do, becos they truly channel all their energies (both consciously and sub-consciously) towards what they want to achieve. As an analogy, they don't fight a war like an early 19th century, piecemeal invasion campaign which involves only the military and political classes. Instead, it's a late 20th century, all-out industrial war, where the entire country is mobilised in its war-making capability.
But before that, you really need to know yourself better first. To do so, you may want to put more thought and effort into observing your own choices and asking yourself if they truly reflect what you think you think.
Incidentally, this drives a lot of the things i do. if i dont believe in something, i wont be inclined to give it a lot of support and vice versa. For example, if i want to do my part for the environment, i'll try to do use less plastic bags and eat less meat. More recently, the other major shift in my 'choices policy' is in the supermarkets i patronise.
How you spend your money is an impt part of the choices you make. Besides what you spend it on, it's also about where you spend it and a sizable part of my expenditure is spent buying stuff in supermarkets. Although most of us love a good bargain, we're usually not "aunties", in that we don't compare the 5c-10c differences in price. We walk into a supermarket and as long as the price is about right, we buy it. i do that too so which supermarket i walk into is usually quite impt.
i used to support Sheng Shiong becos it was a heartland enterprise (i read tt the boss had no office but jus sat on a stool anywhere in the store and did his accounts). i support heartlanders and i support heartland entrepreneurship so i supported them. But of late, they have morphed into something else. They went to do their 'Sheng Shiong Nite' a la the old 'PSC Nite' (which i find to be a poor way to spend money which otherwise can be rebated back to customers). They introduced a Diners Club card (a move which i found odd). But the last straw had to be when they tried to convert the wet markets they got to become supermarkets. IMHO, while it may be profitable, this is a socially irresponsible move. Heartlander enterprises do not go ard trying to tear down the vital organs of our heartland. Hence, i hav decided to officially retract my support for Sheng Shiong. My supermarket preferences currently stands at:
1. NTUC Fairprice (though i dont think unions should try to become conglomerates, at least they're owned by SGreans and they have a community flavour in the way they do things)
2. Cold Storage (being cosmopolitan is good too but i half-suspect they're owned by foreigners)
3. Shop & Save (seriously, who are these pple?)
4. Sheng Shiong (booo~)
You may read this and think, what the heck, who does this guy think he is? He is neither an opinion-leader nor does he spend a massive amt of money every year. What he thinks and what he chooses won't make a chicken feather of a difference.
Right, and wrong. Ideas are always important.
