Sui Generis People in the world today, especially in Singapore, are too willing to settle for fitting in with the status quo and just doing what they are told to do. Here's my thoughts on society, education and life in general; and my views on being significant. Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 0 2290

Articles from Sui Generis

Keeping calm 2008-02-07 08:36:01 Emmanuel Adebayor is an Arsenal striker who has improved a lot this season. The biggest area of his game which has improved - in my opinion, at least - is his composure in front of goal. He used to rush his shots. But now, he’s a lot more calm when under pressure. Another prime example of being calm under pressure is Eduardo (another Arsenal striker). He’s a real natural finisher, and when presented with opportunities, he takes as much time as he needs. He’s never rushed, and keeps calm no matter how many other players are around him. I could probably list more examples, but I think the point is kind of clear. You can have all the talent in the world, but the  ability to keep calm under pressure is what will allow you to make the most of that talent. How do you keep your calm when placed under pressure? And on a side note, you’ve got 3 more days to win a copy of Seth Godin’s latest book - “Meatball Sundae”! Click here for the contest details, ...

Dan Schawbel on Personal Branding 2008-02-05 05:14:55 Today I had the pleasure of talking to Dan Schawbel. He shares some really good insight and advice on personal branding. Definitely worth a listen. You can download the podcast here. ...

Get on with it 2008-02-03 11:11:02 Yesterday’s Arsenal - Manchester City match demonstrated a really good lesson.  It was 2-1 to Arsenal, and Manchester City were pushing forward for the equalizer. On a quick counter attack late in the game, Arsenal scored a third, to seal the win. Adebayoor broke away, played the ball, and was brought down. Play went on because the ball went to Fabregas, who continued the move. Adebayoor just got up, and supported the move. The ball broke to him, and he scored. He could have very well stayed down, and asked for the free kick, or feigned injury. It was a foul, after all. But he didn’t. He got up, got on with it, and scored. I think that’s something we all can learn. Sometimes we get knocked down. Sometimes unfairly. We can stay down and complain about it. Or we can get up, and get on with it. If you do the latter, you’ll probably be rewarded for it. It’s a tough thing to do, and something that I’m learning myself. But it’s a worthwhile lesson, ...

What I Would Like About Microsoft+Yahoo 2008-02-02 11:49:52 The deal isn’t done yet, so I won’t comment too much. I’ll save more opinion for when/if the deal goes through. But at first glance, what I like about the possible acquisition is the integration possibilities. Windows Live Messenger is very common here in Asia. From personal experience, it’s much more common than Yahoo Messenger, here in Singapore. Yahoo Messenger is one of the dominant IM services in America, if I’m not wrong. I don’t have fixed stats on these, but either way, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo Messenger are definitely two of the largest IM networks. If Microsoft acquires Yahoo, it could be possible that these two service would be integrated more closely, possibly even merged to one service. That would make it a lot easier to keep in contact and all, wouldn’t it? It’s not the open system that a lot of us are hoping for, but it does more or less bring all your contacts into one place. I know that would definitely make thing ... Microsoft  Yahoo

Looking at the Past 2008-02-01 08:53:48 When you watch movies, you’re just seeing a series of still pictures. Why does it seem like smooth motion? Because the eye “holds” the image for a bit after it goes off - ‘persistence of vision’, so it’s called. But it doesn’t hold it too long (if it did, you’d see a mesh of all the different pictures). We should learn to do the same in life, I think. To look at the past, just long enough to learn from it and make a ’smooth’ transition to today. And to let go of it once you’re don’t need to hold on to it anymore. Easier said than done, I know. But I think it would help in your journey through life. What do you think? ...

‘Share Your Story’ Contest Update 2008-02-01 03:17:47 So, with 10 days to go in the contest, I’ve got 3 entries so far. Thanks to Robert, Joanna and Pelf for entering. Here are the entries: Robert from Reason4Smile writes about “The world where people are sharing“ Joanna Young from Confident Writing lists “10 pages that aren’t about me“ Pelf from perf-ism is contagious shared a touching story, and explains “Why I am who I am today“ 3 very different styles, but all demonstrating what they stand for, and who they are. All answering the question of why they are who they are today. There’s 10 more days left in this contest, so come on and join the conversation - share your story. You could stand to win a copy of “Meatball Sundae” by Seth Godin. Click here for more information. ...

Lessons from Soccer 2008-01-28 10:12:13 Just came back from playing soccer. I played better than I have in quite a while, and I think that’s because of the team I played with today. Two things about the team. Firstly, their style of play suited me perfectly. The pass-and-move game is what I do best, and the team today played that really well. I didn’t have to change my style of play at all, I blended in perfectly with the team. We complemented each other well. Secondly, the team was very relaxed. Even when we made individual errors, nobody sulked or blamed each other. We just laughed it off and continued. That relaxed air meant that I, personally, was less afraid of making mistakes then usual. And that allowed me to express myself more, and allowed me to play better. Two simple lessons, but with really significant impact. Surround yourself with people who complement you. And enjoy what you’re doing, don’t be afraid of making mistakes. If you do that, you’re much more likely to succeed, in my opi ...

2 Announcements 2008-01-28 09:31:33 Just a couple of announcements. Firstly, my laptop is currently being serviced. As such I’ll be online quite a bit less over this week, and might not be updating the blog as much. And secondly, because I won’t be online as much this week (and also to give more time for you guys to spread the word and participate), the contest to give away a copy of Meatball Sundae will be extended by a week or so. To 10 February. So yeah, hope you spread the word, and really hope you participate. More details here. ...

The Advantages of Shortcomings 2008-01-27 11:22:26 Sometimes having shortcomings and failures can be positive. Why? Because it gets people talking. Being “remarkable” (as Seth Godin says) isn’t necessarily about being really good. Sometimes if you’re too perfect, there isn’t much to talk about. Sometimes, the best way to get people talking is to have shortcomings - or rather “supposed” shortcomings - to stir up controversy. Example: Apple. One of the biggest conversations about the iPhone was how it was locked. Yes, people talked about the revolutionary multi-touch screen and software and all. But people also talked a lot about how it was closed. And when it was broken, it got a whole new round of press. The same is happening with the Macbook Air and its lack of an optical drive. If the products didn’t have these ‘flaws’, they probably wouldn’t have been talked about as much. The ultimate end result of it all? The products get talked about more. And more people find out ...

Curiosity in School 2008-01-26 11:30:32 Following up on my last two posts on curiosity and mystery, I want to pose the question about schools. In schools, we are being taught information - knowledge, facts, theories, etc. But students are rarely taught to question. We’re taught to answer questions, instead of ask them. But in today’s world, with the internet and all, the information and facts and theories can be found easily, can’t it? Just a quick search on Google. What we need, as Seth Godin pointed out, is curiosity. Knowing information, and being able to apply it to solve problems is all well and good. And yes, we need a certain amount of that. But in order to push towards the future, we need to encourage our students to question more, don’t we? We need to learn to question things that are commonly accepted. We need people who aren’t afraid to go against societies limits, and push the boundaries of innovation. And that’s one area where schools fail, I think. In school, we are taught to ...

J.J. Abrams’ Mystery Box 2008-01-23 11:21:27 J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost, talks about his love for mystery, which can be traced back to his grandfather. I think this is a great follow up to my previous post, on curiosity. Mystery and curiosity are quite closely linked, after all, aren’t they? Really entertaining, with a couple of really cool things that I never knew. And most importantly, a really inspiring talk on mystery, and the power of it. ...

Curiosity Kills the Cat… 2008-01-22 08:46:06 Or so the saying goes. But we aren’t cats, are we (if you’re a cat and you’re reading this, please drop me a line, I’d love to get to know you). For us, curiosity is mostly a good thing. The curious people are the innovators, the forward thinkers. Here’s Seth Godin, on curiosity. Just 5 minutes, but so much value in there. Check it out. [edit] And if you like what you’ve seen of Seth Godin, check out his latest book, Meatball Sundae. Or enter my contest to win a free copy of it. Just 8 days left! ...

Age of Conversation 2008 2008-01-22 08:25:09 A year ago, Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton brought together over 100 bloggers and invited them to each contribute one page on the topic of “conversation”. And the book, “The Age of Conversation”, was published. All the proceeds from the book went to Variety, the Children’s Charity. Now, Drew and Gavin are at it again. They’re starting “The Age of Conversation 2008″. And you can be a part of it too. Sign up to write a chapter for it. Vote on the topic. Or simply spread the word. I think it’s a great project, and I love the collaborative nature of it - how they are bringing together so many different voices. And I really encourage you to participate. ...

Skipping Rocks 2008-01-21 10:16:06 Just a short post, tI’ve been watching Numb3rs a lot lately. I’m just quite fascinated by the math (yes I’m a math geek), and how so much of human behavior can be mathematically laid out and predicted (according to the show, at least). One thing that struck me about an episode I saw last week. The guy in the show drew an analogy between life and a rock skipping over water. No matter how quickly it moves from the spot, it leaves an impact. And (my extension), the ripples it leaves extend much further than the impact itself. I think that analogy is really true.  In whatever you do, no matter how short it is, chances are, the impact goes further than you imagine. No matter what you do, where you are, you are making an impact. The only remaining question is: What kind of impact are you making? ...

Share Your Story - and Win a copy of Meatball Sundae 2008-01-20 12:32:03 [edit]The contest has now been extended to February  10! That gives you 10 extra days to get your entry. [end edit] Here’s your chance to win a copy of Seth Godin’s latest book, Meatball Sundae. I’ll be giving away a free copy of Meatball Sundae at the end of the month (January 31) on February 10, so read on for details. One of the main points of Meatball Sundae is the power of stories. And so, in the spirit of that, here’s all you need to do to be a part of this contest: Share your story. Your story doesn’t have to be your auto-biography or your about page. In fact, your true story probably isn’t. It’s the one with the drama, emotions, tragedy, action. It’s the story that shows what you believe in, what you stand for. Put simply, your story is an expression of who you are - an answer to the question of why you are who you are today. So, share your story with us (me and the fellow readers). There are no fixed rules to this contest. Expre ...