Two Men, Two Tales: From Former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo on Bloomberg to Andy Sim’s Shared Purpose on LinkedIn. Question: Is Unhappiness a Precondition for Achievement?
This article was originally a 5-piece comment to Andy Sim’s reflection on LinkedIn. A highly reflective conversation recently emerged on LinkedIn, sparked by former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo’s appearance on Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show. When Mishal Husain asked, “Why is Singapore, which is on the list of the top 20 wealthiest countries, also one of the unhappiest?” Yeo responded: “Sometimes, unhappiness may be a precondition for achievement.” This observation prompted a thoughtful reflection from Andy Sim, a prominent tech leader and systems thinker. Sim questioned whether Singapore’s post-independence success was driven by unhappiness or by a shared sense of purpose forged through necessity—noting that while necessity drives action, it is purpose that sustains it.
The Lee Kuan Yew Reminder on Economic Growth vs. The Pursuit of Happiness
Sharing Sim’s perspective on meaning and purpose, let’s start with a foundational truth. Former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo recently recalled a profound reminder from founding Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew: “We can promise economic development, infrastructure, education, whatever. But never promise happiness.” Why? Because happiness is an “inside job,” as Dr. Wayne Dyer frequently remarked. It cannot be engineered or defined by anyone but oneself, and it means vastly different things to different people.
Historically, a certain degree of “hunger”—the urgent need to make ends meet—undeniably drives human striving. Consider the birthing of Airbnb, as detailed by Arun Sundararajan in his book, The Sharing Economy. The roommates, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, simply needed to make rent in San Francisco during a major design conference where hotel beds were scarce. When basic needs are unmet (to frame it within Maslow’s hierarchy), humanity steps up, and miracles develop.
Singapore’s Evolution From Hungry Striving to the Paradox of Choice
When I first arrived in Singapore in the early 1990s as a young adult, the nation had already achieved strong structural stability, yet there was a hungry striving to reach the very top and stay on top. The collective purpose had evolved into a fierce drive for excellence, growth, and establishing a secure, prosperous future for the next generation. Writing this from my perspective as someone who is Singaporean by heart, I saw how that incredible momentum shaped the society we navigate today.
Through subsequent decades of hard work, Singapore became highly affluent—the home of the cinematic “Crazy Rich Asians.” Yet, beneath that veneer lies a middle and lower-income class navigating real financial struggles. Today, the younger generation compares themselves to a globalized world, and their wants, dreams, and expectations are exponentially wider. When we have less exposure to endless alternatives—even in our personal lives—we often remain more content, forming deeper, more fulfilled relationships. The more options people taste, the more they chase an elusive, “perfect” ideal.
Affluence, Autonomy, and the Intergenerational Trust Deficit in Families
To borrow a phrase frequently used by Yen-Lu Chow, we must be the “captain of our own ship.” Many imagined that material wealth would grant that autonomy, but true autonomy requires a spiritual grounding—a path to believe in. Studies consistently confirm that individuals with a robust belief system, or a sense of a higher purpose operating amidst the chaos of this world, report higher baseline levels of happiness and deep contentment.
Conversely, in higher socio-economic strata, I often observe a professional paradox: vast amounts of time are dedicated to work and social climbing, while family life is outsourced. Youth are glued to computers, gaming, or traveling, largely raised by domestic help. This fractures intergenerational trust because the old world is radically different from the new. The older generation often asks, “What is there to complain about?” when the youth have everything from world-class HDB infrastructure to premier educational opportunities.
Meanwhile, youngsters returning from elite overseas universities can sometimes appear insulated by wealth, detached from the gritty core of family traditions. Bridging this communication gap requires genuine trust, and trust demands the first foundational currency of the Time, Trust, and Integrity (TTI) framework: time—spent intentionally.
A Psychological Perspective on Displaced Seeking and Modern Material Desires
Integrity, values, and an enduring sense of purpose are hard to manufacture. Happiness is not merely an individual endeavor; it is a family’s job—the microcosm of our macrocosmic society. We are all in this same boat. Our true task is creating mentorship and connecting with one another to bridge age, education, income gaps, and spiritual differences.
When Maslow’s foundational needs are easily met, the human mind does not stop striving. It simply diverts. While I deeply appreciate George Yeo’s perspective that unhappiness may sometimes act as a precondition for achievement, I view it through a slightly different psychological lens. Rather than unhappiness itself being the driver, it is often a displaced seeking. In the past, that collective restlessness was diverted into the belief that financial stability and milestone achievements would ultimately deliver happiness. Today, for a more affluent generation, that same search is often diverted into lifestyle consumption—spending, traveling, and chasing fleeting experiences.
Unhappiness remains a distinct construct from striving. Many perfectly content individuals imagine, create, and innovate out of sheer curiosity or purpose. Often, those with fewer material goods protect a deeper peace because they naturally guard what money cannot buy: loyalty, deep friendship, and morals. True happiness must be paired with meaning—making sense of life beyond the immediate present. We must embrace the reality that we are all here on a one-way ticket, and the only things that endure are the good deeds that touched others, the prayers whispered, or the silent gratitude held for us when we are gone.
Reimagining Human Fulfillment Through Time, Trust, and Integrity (TTI)
Happiness is never a byproduct of bank statements; it is the ultimate measure of fulfillment across the heart, soul, and purpose. Just like time, it is our most precious, non-renewable resource. Money loses value, and material excitement shifts.
This is where the true architecture of human fulfillment rests: Time, Trust, and Integrity (TTI) represent the Ultimate Currency. A Life Reimagined can only be drawn upon these foundational values. Add Purpose to this equation, and you have the absolute Essence of Life—whereby Time is guarded as our most sacred asset, to be spent intentionally rather than transactionalized; Trust is cultivated through the willingness to step past the surface and hold deep, soul-felt, meaning-making conversations; and Integrity is anchored in staying radically committed to a values-driven path higher than oneself.
