Recently, a Chinese peer came to Singapore to travel on a business trip, visited the Asian Civilization Museum, and then went to see the renovation of the Totoma Museum, which was deeply impressed.

When I saw me, I sighed and said, "I never wanted to come to Singapore to play, because I saw the photos taken by my relatives and friends was Merlion and high -rise building. This time I saw your museum, the planning and planning and the planning insideThe curatorial is very good. It is very different from the large museums in other places. It is particularly atmospheric. I want to see it again. "

From "Nothing" to "I want to see it again", the transformation in the middle is worth pondering.On the one hand, it reflects the changes in the concept of "value" of cultural relics, and also contains the spirit of Singapore.

The world's famous big museums, especially in Europe and the United States, are mostly the museums in Europe and the United States. Most of the collection is the epitome of the expansion of the great empire in history.These empires expanded outward, and the royal family and nobles set off a wave of collecting overseas strange treasures to bring back to China.In the 19th century, when Raffles represented the British Empire for colonial activities, many cultural relics and artworks in Java also collected various antiques, wood carvings and furniture in Java.

If these museum standards, the collection of the little red dot in Singapore does not even have enough nine cattle and one hairy. It is indeed "nothing."Rob?We can't do it, we can't do it; buy?If others don't want to sell, we may not afford it.

Under the limitations of reality, Singapore's museums have stepped out of their own way, showing the exploration spirit of the people in the surrounding areas, and the scene of living on this land, gradually shaping the only museum in the cost of Asian cultural relics and art.

In recent years, the world has experienced great changes in the world, nationalism, identity, anti -authority and other trends of thoughts. They are changing the original ethics and order of the world and changing the definition of museums.De -colonized countries and nations began to recover their own cultural relics, so that the big museum under the European and American concepts received unprecedented challenges. Some people even described this is the Box of Pandora for "returning cultural relics".

Singapore has no such cultural relics. The ones collected by Raffles have taken it away, which also makes us have no burden.Taking the Asian Civilization Museum as an example, more than 20 years of focusing from displayed cultural relics to display civilization and culture.In this world that pays more attention to "people", looking back at this choice is forward -looking.

"Nothing" is the natural reality of Singapore, but it is not fate, and it does not mean that it cannot be made.

"Nothing" is actually a philosophy of life. Create the condition of survival in no or scarce. It is the direction of continuous efforts in our short decades of history. For example, there is no oil resources.The method of the sea forms a complete oil and chemical industry; the water sources are insufficient. Through the fading of fresh water and seawater, it has changed from the two faucets, which only collects rainwater and imported water, to four faucets.

The philosophy of "nothing", in the previous turbulent era, inspired us to have the motivation for survival. Now we are in a new turbulent era, and Singapore has changed from "nothing" to "what is very good."What kind of attitude do we have to meet challenges?

In the past two days, I quickly read the new book politics of Ben Ansell, a professor of political science at Oxford University.Anssel's expertise is to be more democratic and the leader of studying the dilemma of modern democratic countries. He puts forward the five major traps facing the current politics in the book: democracy is required, but everyone has to be the own.There are "people's wishes together"; they must be equal, but they are unwilling to give up their personal wealth; they must unite, and they are unwilling to let them half steps to cooperate with others; they must be safe, but they are unwilling to be restricted;To get rich, you have no patience to look at the long -term.

A Andersa focuses on the current British and American society. His conclusion is that these problems must be solved politically. I have no intention to explore European and American issues. HoweverRegardless of the development stage, the power, rights, wealth, freedom, etc. cannot be grasped by the hand, which can be taken for granted.

Especially in this turbulent world, what is holding on your hands may be fleeting, but he has been holding our "nothing" spirit. It can promote us to be cautious to find creative space and explore opportunities. Don't just look at it.It depends on the opportunity to look at it yet, but the opportunity is full in the future.

Just in the past Monday, President Halima presided over the opening era of the President of the 14th Congress to publish a policy policy on the opening era, and the government departments released the appendix a few days later.After the colleagues in our news office quickly looked at the appendix every day, the first response was "nothing", because we were used to finding new measures, new projects and new announcements in these statements.But thinking about it, it can be said that we are used to some form of "yes" and less motivation to discover.

In fact, the government's policy policy is exactly the shortcomings of Singapore, so you need to set the four major priorities, including providing more opportunities for life and work for each Singaporean; strengthen the social security network, andAssist people who are disturbed by setbacks in life to stand up again; continue to build cities with green, in all directions, and highly livable; deepen the identity identity of Singaporeans and their sense of responsibility to create a new society contract.

Holding our "nothing" mentality, not persisting in everything that I have learned, and keeping lifelong learning, there is room for turning, not lying flat.At the same time, expand the definition of success, pay attention to different talents, and encourage us not to roll.According to the government's policy, the world's competition is getting more and more intense. There is nothing to compete directly with the world economic power, but it can more flexibly respond and seize the opportunity.

Thinking of the museum stories mentioned earlier, taking disadvantages as an advantage is the potential that Singaporeans need to cherish.

(The author is the editor -in -chief editor of the Morning Post [email protected])