A recent meeting of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce caught me by surprise. A top Minister was the speaker. Rather than a subject, it was more about what he wanted to say of today’s current affairs affecting Singapore and the world. I attended because the Minister concerned is always thoughtful and interesting. I shall…
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We are told that Artificial Intelligence cannot be creative, at least not yet. That depends on what you mean by creative. The best definition I know – “Creativity is the ability to perceive relationships” – leaves AI romping home with any relationships that have already been published. AI cannot perceive a relationship that has not…
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We all have years that mark changes in our progress – times when the old calls for celebration coincide with urgencies we have not noticed in the past. 1979 was a significant year for me. It was also the year I was forty-seven years old. Everyone who works with Terrific Mentors knows that forty-seven is…
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New in London at the age of twenty-one, I wanted to buy a typewriter. I was earning almost nothing and couldn’t afford a new one. So I looked at several second-hand ones. The one I like was a little above my price but the foreman at Brooke Bond’s where I was working persuaded me to…
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‘The man who is denied the opportunity of taking decisions of importance begins to regard as important the decisions he is allowed to take.’ C. Northcote Parkinson, author and historian (1909-1993) It could have been said more strongly, I think. While agreeing with Parkinson (except it must be s/he not he) the issue today is…
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Know who you are to grow who you are For those who see themselves – or others – as ‘lost’ along the lines of yesterday’s Daily Paradox (‘Lost’ 30Jul23) there are three main remedies. There are others, too. Farina Ghanie’s ARISE! Sessions (www.arise.care) are bringing sanity to many people exhausted by the intransigence of TAKE.…
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Lots of people are feeling lost. At Terrific Mentors International we see increasing numbers. We meet many people socially and professionally who express their situation as ‘I don’t know what to do next’. The mass media are declaring greater uncertainties among well-established groups of socially motivated people. Some individuals have already given up, saying they…
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The Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s concert on Thursday night (27Jul23) was, as it always is, a treat beyond compare. The simple and crystal clear violin playing by Chloe Chua is a treat of truth not always exhibited by other great players. A minor, trivial event took place. If the story seems somewhat self-laudatory please forgive me.…
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Roughly half the messages we receive about life suggest that we should think more carefully about ourselves. The other half say that we will feel fulfilled and happy only if we think primarily about other people. Is either true? Well, obviously, up to a point, both are. We are born with a survival instinct which,…
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Nobody should be alone, ever. In our lifetimes many of us will feel lonely, often briefly, sometimes frequently, occasionally always. There are nearly 10bn people on earth, so the concept of loneliness is theoretically absurd. Those who feel lonely know what it means to them, usually cannot express it, employ the feeling to dig into…
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