Throwaway account because my buddy is already depressed enough, but I seriously need to vent about how the education system completely fails to prepare some guys for real life.
I have this childhood friend. Let’s call him A. This guy is the definition of a “model Singaporean boy” on paper. Straight As since primary school, went to a top JC, entered NS and commissioned as an OCS officer (commanding platoon, sibei garang, high flyer type). After ORD, went straight into a local big three uni, graduated with first-class honors, and landed a high-flying corporate job. Parents proud, relatives always praise him during Chinese New Year. Truly a golden boy.
But outside of books and SOPs? The guy has the emotional intelligence and street smarts of a literal goldfish. Zero real-world experience because his whole life was just study, camp, study, work.
Last year, he finally decided to start dating. Because he has absolutely no game and no experience dealing with people who don’t follow a rubric, he fell hook, line, and sinker for this absolute toxic woman. She completely weaponized his naivety. Guilt-tripped him into buying her luxury bags, paying for Michelin-star dinners, and basically treated him like a walking ATM. When his friends tried to warn him that he was being used, he got defensive and said we “didn’t understand her.” In the end, after she sucked him dry financially and emotionally, she dumped him for a rich older guy. Just like that, his heart and bank account both broke.
To help him cheer up, a few of us decided to bring him out to a pub last month just to unwind. Big mistake. Within an hour, he got targeted by those PR hostesses/promoters hanging around. They poured him a few drinks, laughed at his lame jokes, called him “handsome boss,” and this idiot completely forgot everything that just happened to him. He ordered tower after tower, opened expensive bottles just to impress them, and ended up footing a four-figure bill at the end of the night. Literally became the ultimate carrot cake (got chopped severely).
It’s damn depressing to watch. How can someone be so book smart, manage an entire platoon of men in the jungle, but the moment they step into a bars or dating apps, they become an absolute clown? Our system trains people perfectly to follow instructions and pass exams, but it leaves them completely blind to the sharks in the real world. Now he’s cynical, broke, and hiding in his room.
Bro, if you are reading this: being a scholar or an officer means nothing if you let people treat you like a carrot. Wake up your idea, please.