Talent

I think that all 3 talents are not present in singapore, sadly. Even if they are, they are short lived, as seen in the case of president scholars and athletes. The hype (recognition) over their achievements fade faster than they deserve to, hence this may deter one to strive to gain glory for singapore, since recognition may be one of the many reasons why one would want to achieve something.

Newton, Edison and Einstein are all famous names in the science field. The first discovered gravity, the other, light, and the last, the infamous equation, E=MC^2. Then comes the singaporean who created glowing fishes. What was HIS name again? I truely believe less than 1 percent of the population knows about him. Why is this so? Is it because singapore doesn't celebrate his achievements, or is it just because singapore doesn't think it's much of an achievement? I believe it's a combination of both. Firstly, the newspaper column featuring his invention barely made it a front page news. Secondly, it was mentioned probably less than 5 times as it wasn't as big an invention as light was. Thus, this may be one of the deterrences for singaporeans to ever achieve anything great, as their efforts go largely unnoticed.

Then comes the issue of space. Students here are usually under alot of stress and pressure, especially from their parents, to do well. It is common for students to be studying even on weekends- a rare sight in other countries. This would give one the impression that if he or she were to do well in school, it would be even worse if they over achieved and entered the global arena. Also, many scholarships tie the students to the goverment and do not consider the aspirations of these students. For example, many scholars have a contract where they are tied down to the sponsor company, and this prevents them from pursuing their aspirations. Thus, space is not an incentive for achievements.

Lastly, soul is hardly present. Singapore lacks the countryside aura to allow for relaxation time, or for one to nurture their peace of mind. Sure, we have spas and country clubs, but who attends these spas? The affluent and famous, of course. Heaven forbid you should meet your boss at the spa. It would definitely turn a time of peace and quiet into one that would kill your weekend.
As such, all 3 requirements are lacking in singapore, accounting for the lack of obvious talents.