Narcissism


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many cultures have anti-narcissist defenses that, kinda unfortunately, seem to end up discouraging everyone except actual narcissists. I want to persuade people to advocate for themselves and their interests as they would for a most beloved friend It can be more narcissistic to be private than public, if you’re doing it with the intent of […]

July 27, 2019

Slingshot


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The following post is a copy-paste of a Twitter thread. It will take some time before it turns into an essay of its own. I’ve mentioned an essay idea to several people in the past week and have received a lot of positive feedback about it. I call it the SLINGSHOT THEORY, loosely based on […]

July 6, 2019

make friends


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Warning: This “blogpost” is currently just a messy, meandering collection of thoughts and notes. 2023: My current best description of friendship is “shared understanding”. ✱ If I can only pick one thing from my memex to share with the world, I think it might be “Make friends”. It’s maybe the simplest two word directive that […]

July 5, 2019

The public is insufficiently educated on how to be a good public


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The public is insufficiently educated on how to be a good public. I think this is civilisation-specific (ie not an issue for egalitarian hunter-gatherers who live enmeshed lives). And I think appreciating this requires appreciating that civilisation is hierarchical, stratified. The reality of status hierarchies is starker than we articulate. Nobody introduces you to sexism […]

January 24, 2019

LKY


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Friends from abroad often ask me for suggested readings re: Lee Kuan Yew. I recommend starting by reading The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, which isn’t directly about Lee Kuan Yew – but it’s a story set in Singapore. I’ve also recommended watching this video of talking about the 1980 SIA pilot’s strike [2:09]. I […]

October 31, 2018

Speaking


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I thought it would be interesting to make a list of notable events where I’ve spoken at. I’ve emceed 2 weddings. Interestingly, both of the grooms were named Kenneth. I’ve given speeches at 2 others – my ex-boss’s, and my brother’s. I’ve spoken at Hong Lim Park against internet regulations. [youtube] I organized a screaming […]

October 7, 2018

WWE


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I remember when I was a young child – maybe five or six years old – when I first watched WWE on TV. (At the time it was called WWF, or “world wrestling federation”. The name change was for legal reasons, but it did inadvertently put the emphasis on the “entertainment” aspect.) I think what’s […]

September 4, 2018

Naughty Boy


books

Naughty Boy: Under-table Scribblings Of A Recalcitrant Joker is a collection of poems by blogger and entrepreneur Visakan Veerasamy. Visakan is known for selling t-shirts with Hokkien swear words on them, and inciting members of the public to scream at Hong Lim Park. “A refreshing, breezy voice that talks about difficult issues in a smart, […]

July 27, 2018