Singapore - The Republic has been declared the Most Whiny Country by media conglomerate MetaSurvays. This ringing endorsement recognises Singaporeans as champion complainers, with wonderful abilities to articulate their grouses in multiple languages.
Many Singaporeans find the hot weather unbearable, their workload untenable and the stresses of modern living intolerable. If there were an Olympic game for complaining, Singaporeans would sweep the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Jason Yo, a 40-year-old working in the finance industry, claimed that the smell of durians along the walkway infringed on his freedom to not smell the pungent fruit. "Why can't they have durians that don't smell? This is absolutely ridiculous and I'm going to file a police report." He then proceeded to discuss about the possibilities of banning the thorny fruit from the city-state.
According to Prince Poh, a psychologist at the National United Hospital, people may complain to find common grounds to build relationships. "This is almost like how Irishmen bond over beer."
Many Singaporeans find the hot weather unbearable, their workload untenable and the stresses of modern living intolerable. If there were an Olympic game for complaining, Singaporeans would sweep the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Jason Yo, a 40-year-old working in the finance industry, claimed that the smell of durians along the walkway infringed on his freedom to not smell the pungent fruit. "Why can't they have durians that don't smell? This is absolutely ridiculous and I'm going to file a police report." He then proceeded to discuss about the possibilities of banning the thorny fruit from the city-state.
According to Prince Poh, a psychologist at the National United Hospital, people may complain to find common grounds to build relationships. "This is almost like how Irishmen bond over beer."
"We must also consider the fact that they may have been infantilised by the hyper-efficient nanny state and are no longer able to take care of themselves without referring to an authority," Mr Poh added.
Complaining has been elevated to an art form with the advent of technology in this Internet-savvy country. Social media allows grammatically inclined citizens to exchange their favourite complaints about it's/its, their/there and your/you're.
Its and It's. Their and There. Your and You're. |
Many have noted that complaining is a national hobby with virtual forums and coffee shops dedicated to its proliferation. The relevant authorities are looking at ways of generating revenue from this activity.
Ms Fanny Tang, a director at MetaSurvays, said that there were three main criteria used by the panels to award this accolade. "However, I am unable to reveal these criteria as we fear that Singaporeans would try to get tuition in complaining so that they would win this award ever year," she added with a smile.
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