Thinking Aloud

What makes Singapore Singaporean? Society's unique cultural traits offer a clue

Scoring low on individualism, high on long-term orientation may explain willingness to wear masks.

Scoring low on individualism, high on long-term orientation may explain willingness to wear masks, says the writer. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
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The willingness of Singaporeans to don masks – with or without a law compelling us to do so – seems to be a source of some intrigue for foreigners.

Friends from overseas, some from societies that strenuously resisted mask mandates, have remarked with wonder more than once at how people here did not fling off their face coverings en masse the very instant rules were eased.

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