Benedict Cumberbatch

Haha. I find this actor interesting.

When asked what he wished he was asked;

I often feel in interviews people should ask about the culture and people that I engage with as an audience rather than the same bio or personal life details. Rough with the very, very smooth, these are high class problems. The best interviews evolve like conversation. They're not lead by journalists that are seeking to thrill their editor with predictable copy and questions that are basically answers. Sadly, that's the norm. But there are exceptions which sometimes make it worthwhile.

When asked "Is fame different from how you imagined it would be?"

You can't imagine fame. You can only ever see it from an outsider and comment on it with the rueful wisdom of a non participant. When it happens to you, it doesn't matter what age or how, it is a very steep learning curve. The imprtanot thing to realize in all of it is that life is short, to protect the ones you love, and not expose yourself to too much abuse or narcissistic reflection gazing and move on. If fame affords me the type of ability to do the kind of work I'm being offered, who am I to complain about the downsides. It's all relative. And this are obviously very high class problems. The way privacy becomes an every shrinking island is inevitable but also manageable and it doesn't necessary have to get that way... 

Source: reddit

Fighter

“My colleagues and I are of that generation of young men who went through the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation and emerged determined that no one–neither Japanese nor British–had the right to push and kick us around. We determined that we could govern ourselves and bring up our children in a country where we can be proud to be self-respecting people.”
- Lee Kuan Yew, “The Battle for Merger” (1961).

LKY has such a fighting spirit.

Excerpt from The Last Battle

Lo! in a narrow place between two rocks there came to meet me a great Lion. . . . He was more terrible than the Flaming Mountain of Lagour, and in beauty he surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose in bloom surpasses the dust of the desert. Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, ‘Son, thou art welcome.’ But I said, ‘Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash.’ He answered, ‘Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.’ Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.”

From The Last Battle
From C.S.Lewis Daily Devotional

Inferiority complex quote

"Both people crippled by inferiority feelings and those who have superiority complexes are centered on themselves, obsessed with how they look and how that are being perceived and treated. It would be easy to help someone out of an inferiority complex into a superiority complex and leave them no better furnished to live life well… There is the essence of sin, according to the Bible [2 Cor. 5:15] - living for ourselves, rather than for God and the people around us."

— Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (New York: Penguin Group, 2011), p.63

 

Hmm. Self-awareness is good. God-awareness is even better.

Things to note while comforting self or others.

Changing lanes, changing lives: Excerpts

Reading Corinna Lim's story.. (previously a lawyer)

Corinna's highlighted quote:

"I always knew that this was thething that energised me the most - doing AWARE work, the discussions that we had in AWARE on issues, making a difference, helping an individual woman get out of a violent situation. I could do it for hours and not feel tired."

"She also likes the environment she works in. "This is not the corporate world, so it's a warmer human environment. Relationships seem a lot more real in a non-corporate setting. Maybe it's me, but in a corporate setting, I always felt that I had to have a certain mask on. I couldn't relax, to be myself. There's a certain persona, all these things that are expected of you. While you're in there, you don't really feel it, but having stepped out of it, you do."

"Most of all, she said, the work is fun, has high impact, and there is absolutely nothing she misses from the corporate sector."

"Before shifting to a non-rpofit full-time, Corinna recommends that they increase their volunteering activities.... provides a better understanding of how to manage the organisation... help with making sure the person understands that the sector works differently.... While there's a certain amount of professionalism, she said levels of expertise and standards can be lower, so people from the corporate world would need to make an adjustment... politics...People are measured by recognition or how much influence they have, rather than by money, so politics can be high in non-profits.... Having the right skill set also matters a lot... they also have to have that management experience."

Changing lanes, changing lives: Why did I read this book

As I dwelt on the question of what sort of career I should pursue, I came to this book:
"Changing lanes, changing lives: How leaders made a meaningful career switch from corporates to non-profits" by Richard Hartung.

Why did I read this book?

Well, I am "in-between-jobs". And one sister told me I should consider doing humanitarian work.

I realized that I can live with a simple lifestyle. With little prospect of marrying and starting a family, I think that I can do a work that I find meaningful and enjoyable. Poverty, income inequality, and a lack of financial intelligence struck a chord with me. It seemed one of the most obvious injustice in this world which affected people's life in many other areas. So I think that this might be an area I would like to contribute in.

At one point I did think that poverty was not necessarily a bad thing, because it does help some families to realize what is most important in life (God, or at least His major gifts: love, family), even if they did not see it that way. Their position, and their knowledge of these things makes them more fortunate than wealthy people. As Jesus said, it is easier for the poor person to enter the kingdom of God than a rich person. It seemed a little insensitive to say that the poor can continue to be poor, that it does not matter that much. But hey, when God Himself came to earth, he did not overturn income inequality. I take it to mean that the injustice that we observe around us has a part to play in His grand plan. Jesus did not stop injustice, but He showed compassion, and blessed those who were poor, and asked those who are wealthy to give all they have to the poor.

I think it is one thing to give all my money to the poor. But that can be foolish when I can contribute better in other ways. I do not think that money is necessarily what the poor needs. They need the talents of talented people. For example, improving operational efficiency once can be much more helpful than a whole year's funding. Making non-profits work better, reach out better, and help better using my brain, rather than my money can be better.

Then again, I am not sure how much I can contribute in this sector non-monetarily. Is this a place to learn skills: people, management, efficiency as I grow? I think that a private sector is more likely to be more challenging and hence would teach me more about the world. I also think that I know too little regarding corporations to be able to handle anything much. I might be wasting my education in actuarial studies as well. In any case I also do not know much about non-profits. Should I just get going with something?

So I chose to read this book when I passed by it in the library recently.
Now that was a LONG explanation for why I chose to do this book.
The SHORT explanation is that I wanted to know whether it is a good idea to work in non-profits, and if yes, when.

LKY on Xi Jinping

Reading the TIME Magazine.  February 4, 2013
Lee Kuan Yew's insights on China...

"How should one assess new Communist Party chief Xi Jinping?
He has had a tougher life than [his predecessor] Hu Jintao. His father was rusticated, and so was he. He took it in stride, and worked his way up. It has not been smooth sailing for him. His life experiences msut have hardened him. He is reserved - not in the sense that he will not talk to you, but in the sense that he will not betray his likes and dislikes. There is always a pleasant smile on his face, whether or not you have said something that annoyed him. He has iron in his soul, more than Hu Jintao, who ascended the ranks without experiencing the trials and tribulations that Xi endured. He is a person with enormous emotional stability who does not allow his personal misfortunes or sufferings to affect his judgment. He is impressive."