Why So Serious?

A colleague commented that my blog is very serious. But financial planning and people's future is serious business. But yes, as financial planners we have fun too. So today I will like to touch on the topic of 'Ah Lians'. We have a colleague named B (just for ease of writing, not naming anybody in particular), we teased her about being ah lian. She insist that she is not, to a point where she actually wiki-ed the definition of ah lian. This is wiki's definition of Ah Lian.

It seems that the definition of ah lian in Wiki is more physical in appearance. Wiki defines them as uneducated and mix English with Chinese and dialect. Those people that may say tomorrow as tomolo. But with the education system in Singapore, there will be less and less ah lians on the street. Really?

This is my personal opinion, any likeness to anyone is strictly coincidental. There... disclaimer. I feel that ah lian is not a physical attribute as defined by Wiki. I feel that being lian is an attitude, a mannerism, a character, not just because of dyed hair and clothings. Talking loudly is also a physical attribute. But more importantly what are emotions and thoughts when they do that? 

I think that there is a beng or a lian in all of us. Just like some research on cancer has shown that all of us has the potential to contract cancer but some are just more prone to it. So there is a beng and a lian in all of us. We just fear coming out of the closet. Some will be more prone to have the lian/ beng syndrome with some symptoms showing, while some are more conscious.

I have walked down Raffles Place with clients during lunch time and they have admitted they just wish sometimes they want to push through all those people that seems to be walking too slowly taking up most of the sidewalk. But most people wouldn't because of social norms and what is expected as a normal human being. 

Lets imagine, you have a few people walking in front of you and blocking your normal walking speed. You shove those people aside and when they stare at you, you can loudly exclaim that they are blocking and if you want to walk so slowly, walk on the side! Those people blocking you will cower in fear or respect as you walk by. Come on, you have not fantasized about doing something like this before? Don't lie, I know you have.

I will confess to you now that I have dreamt of being a Godfather. Not the kind that dotes on little children. But the Mafia kind. The kind that my ring will be kissed by everyone in the 'familia'. I will also confess that I am an 'executive beng'. The kind that wears a tie, speaks good English and feels the urge to push people aside. But no I will never do it. I can start talking loudly if I know I have strength in numbers. Same rationale why ah bengs are in gangs. 

We all NEED to belong. It is a need of humans as identified in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. After the basic and safety needs are taken care of, people need to belong. They feel good once they are accepted.

Wiki also mentioned that ah bengs are usually involved in criminal activity, but aren't we all? We try and cheat on our parking coupon by tearing the 15 mins later than the time we arrive, we sometimes don't even want to put then revel in the joy we did not get a ticket for it. Sure we know that jaywalking is illegal but we also jaywalk just to save time. We also hate to be conforming and we want to be unique. We want to be different and this manifest into dyed hair for ah bengs and ah lians. For me, it manifest into a I-don't-care-what-you-think-I-like-to-wear-shorts-in-orchard-road attitude.

So my theory is that the same needs that drives us also drives the ah lians and ah bengs. So we have a lian or beng in all of us, we want to be different, we hope to be loud, we all have needs that have to be fulfilled, it just is fulfilled in different ways, either socially acceptable or socially unacceptable. So in summary, B you are LIAN.