I remember a time during my university days when I was in a group interview for a special overseas program.

Part of the interview was to have us, the interviewees, discuss a problem and then propose solutions to it.

I cannot recall the specifics, but whenever we pitch a point, the interviewer will simply mention a rebuttal that counteracts it. We kept getting thrown into defence mode, and out of frustration, I exclaimed something along the lines of….

“Whatever we say, you are just going to say the opposite point!“

That certainly left an impression, albeit not exactly a good one.

I did end up making it into the program and the interviewer is now a lifelong friend – who later told me my outburst got them quite worried that I wouldn’t be a great candidate. But that’s beside the point.

Fact is, every coin has two sides and very often there are multiple perspectives to life. 

  • Work Life Balance – Is this a holistic view OR lazy and privileged thinking?
  • Hustle Culture – Does it promote hard work and persistence OR an unhealthy obsession?

There is no one right answer.

There is only what’s suitable for your context and current season of life.

Questions, NOT Answers is the approach I recommend, even when reading any of my writings.

I keep motivational quotes for when I’m unmotivated and not wanting to do anything.

I also keep self love quotes for when I’m burnt out and blaming myself for not doing more.

One gets you to pick up the pace and push; another tells you to slow down and appreciate life.

They are contrasting, yet one is not objectively better than the other; they just have a different purpose and context of use.

Don’t blindly adopt the concepts and perspectives shared here or anywhere. Most advice cannot be taken plainly at face value because there is no full context.

They come from the personal experience of the origin source.

The name Perspective Paths refers exactly to exploring different perspectives, paths and angles of looking at life.

My goal is just to pen down any interesting and useful stuff I’ve learnt, adding in my viewpoint at any point in time. That viewpoint might even change across time in different seasons of my life.

The real benefit of seeking advice is often not about getting answers

It’s about creating questions

Finding the RIGHT questions to ask yourself.

This is particularly true in a domain that is never just black and white – Life

Use advice and thoughts from others to figure out the things to consider, so you can arrive at a calculated conclusion for your own context.

Take what’s useful for you and ignore the rest. Use them to your advantage to help yourself thrive.

In all my writings, I will try to include a “Questions Not Answers” section at the end which can be useful questions to ask yourself regarding the concept and context.