25 The Game of Life

生命的游戏

Singapore |

Singapore

Chinese

Behind the scenes

This text was inspired by the five years I spent in Singapore. This city-state left a strong impression on me through its cultural diversity, its energy, and its ability to think long term.

This vision owes much to Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, who led me to reflect deeply on intercultural leadership. His charisma, intelligence, and boldness helped transform, in just a few decades, a small port with no natural resources into one of the most dynamic economies in the world.

Singapore is also a place where games are ever-present, whether in traditional forms like mahjong or in casinos where some are willing to stake large sums.

In writing this text, I wanted to explore the idea that life itself sometimes resembles a game. Some play cautiously, others take every risk. But each of us, at some point, is called to stake something valuable.

Echoes of the world

The text is written in Chinese, one of the four official languages of Singapore alongside English, Malay, and Tamil.

Under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, Mandarin – or putonghua, the common Chinese language – was encouraged in order to help Chinese communities, who often spoke different dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, or Cantonese, better understand one another.

Today, many Singaporeans naturally switch between English and Mandarin, making the city a unique bridge between the Western world and the Chinese-speaking world.

The first word of the text, 生命 (sheng-ming), means “life.” It is composed of two characters: 生 (“to be born”) and 命 (“destiny”). From the very beginning, the language connects life with the ideas of birth and fate.

Listen to an audio excerpt of the text