By Lim Zhi Qi Victoria (23S06B)

I want friends like that, I want his popularity, I want a partner like that, I want eyes like hers, I want her bravery and his intelligence, I want their happiness. Nobody intends to actively compare themselves with others, but it has become inevitable in the society that we grow up in. It’s natural for us to collect information about our surroundings, and use it to evaluate how we are doing in life. 

Though not all forms of comparison lead to envy, envy always starts with self-comparison. I think the envy that we experience nowadays goes far beyond just wanting something, but also includes the element of not wanting the other person to have it. 

By Shermaine Lim (22S03N)

On the first day of the January Induction Programme, I sat in the middle of the lecture hall, amidst 200 restless students who were visibly reeling from the effects of the never ending series of perfunctory talks. 

However, there was one particular talk that piqued my attention, that being the one titled: How to Thrive in JC. Intrigued, I craned my neck and paid special attention to the Year Head, who introduced the concept of being a multi-hyphenate. 

For those unfamiliar with this term, a multi-hyphenate is described as a person with varied skills with a certain level of expertise. These are your Kylie Jenners, the actress-model-business owner-celebrity, of our society. They refer to a group of outstanding individuals who excel at a range of areas of expertise, with a multitude of titles under their belts.