Triggered by Garota

"the value of youth input, besides human time and energy, is the perspective we can give. one that might be different from the majority of (and i say this affectionately) old fogeys running the country. which is why diverse opinions - naïve or not - are healthy and should be encouraged. and if we coalesce it through dialogue, we can get stuff happening."

i agree with this statement but only to a limited extent.

i agree that it is definitely important to have a diversity of views. i would like to draw an analogy with nature. why is it that within a species there are diverse creatures each with slightly different genetic makeup? just so that each can adapt to a different situation so that the species as a whole can survive even if the situation and conditions where the species finds itself in changes. and within these diverse elements of the species, they compete and the most adaptable one, the one that is most suitable for the situation at that point of time survives and prospers. similarly with ideas. but should one specific sub-species gain dominance and wipe out the others, then there would be a danger that should the conditions adruptly change (say the introduction of a virus which the sole remaining sub-species is not genetically prepared for) happens, then the species runs the danger of extinction. similarly with ideas. there should be a diversity of ideas so that at any one time, there are options to choose from and the most suitable one (i.e. the "fittest" idea) survives without totally killing off the rest so that when the situation changes, there are other ideas which are suitable. put simply, it's to avoid groupthink.

and i also agree that we should not expect youths to know how to govern the country. some precocious ones might. but not all... but their ideas are still important nonetheless.

however, my point in my post, PMS, was that there are some youths who think that their views are the only ones which are valid, refusing to see it from some other person's perspective, refusing to consider new information, thinking that they know it all. it is this arrogance is the sort of naivete that i do not agree with. my point is thus this, difference perspective, important indeed. but think more, find out more, seek first to understand before being understood. alas, that was not what happens most of the time with us youths. we are so... eager to push our points across, ignoring all else that runs counter with what we think to be the case.

to be fair, this problem is not unique to youths. actually everyone does it. but the problem is that youths have to recognise that very often, we truly know a lot less than those who have been blessed to live longer than us.

so i urge youths, yes, please be critical, please bring a fresh perspective to things. but before you open your mouths, engage your brains, find out more, try to see from the other person's perspective, seek first to understand before being understood.

as to the black hole of feedback... well... that session was not supposed to be a feedback session per se. it was a dialogue session, where the youths present was given the privilege of hearing very honest, no holds bar opinions that the PM has on various issues. and some of the issues were potentially sensitive which the PM, as a politician, could not make in public for various reasons. i think that the feedback system in Singapore is improving. at least if you choose certain modes to give your feedback, you do get responses, though not necessarily the sort you want. MPS is a good avenue. the various FBGs as well (since the government agencies are obliged to give you a formal response that is published on the website...). but whether these feedback are effective... well... i think it depends.

right. queue for printer has shorten.