[njc09_culture_of_shame/Grace/S416]

In reference to passage 1, the author says that teaching her son the concept of "finders are not always keepers" is a first step to tackling the problem of shame. I believe that this is especially applicable in my society as not everyone in Singapore has that kind of mentality. Many Singaporeans today have the mindset of "finders keepers" and this reflects their selfishness. But they can't be blamed as his mindset came about through the competitive spirit of Singaporeans. Their selfish mindset and individualistic views has let to the presence of culture shame in my society. Therefore, I strongly encourage Singaporeans to adopt the Japanese attitude towards shame. If Singaporeans would start to be honest and be able to uphold integrity in their life, I do believe that crime rates like theft will fall and it will make Singapore a better society.

Secondly, in passage 2, the author states that Americans are "simply unprepared for dealing with pangs of shame" and that leads to them not have a sense of shame in their life. This is applicable in my society as there have been an increasingly number of people who have no sense of shame in their lives. They litter on the streets, they even smoke in areas where it is prohibited. Their individualistic mindset has led them to make decisions based on their own wants and desires and they fail to consider the well being of the people around him. However, there is still people in Singapore that do have a sense of shame. These are the people I can feel proud of. They are willing to stand out of the crowd, and go the extra mile to make society a better place.If more Singaporeans will learn to deal with the consequences of shame, I do believe that Singapore will be made a better place with a peaceful society.