January 5, 2020

What can the culture of Singapore tell us about the future? – Visakan Veerasamy on Crazy Wisdom

“Every book is a portal into another universe” – Visakan Veerasamy
If you use Twitter and the internet correctly, you can build relationships with smart people all over the world
The fact of the matter is, people are lonely and hungry for deep, passionate conversations
One great thing about people from all over the world coming online is that you get to learn about different cultural norms
In both off-line and on-line interactions, it’s easier to socialize when you have a common interest
Just as traveling expands your mind, reading history will do the same

Visakan Veerasamy (@viasakanv) is a marketing consultant – he’s also someone you all should be following on Twitter
- For more Visakan, check out the Podcast Notes from his appearance on Venture Stories
Host – Stewart Alsop III (@StewartalsopIII)

To learn more about how life is better now than ever before, Stewart recommends Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence by Tim Parks
Visakan recommends:
- Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastion Junger which discusses why people build strong bonds during tough times

Visakan has been reading and writing ever since he was a kid
- “Every book is a portal into another universe” – Visakan Veerasamy
- In a way, the internet as a mega-library that we can all contribute to
A while back, Visakan created his own blog and started writing about his life, the news, and other topics
People now know Visakan for his in-depth Twitter threads and his openness to making new friends
- 🎧 If you use Twitter and the internet correctly, you can build relationships with smart people (CEOs, PhDs, etc.) all over the world

Visakan lives in Singapore
- “The culture in Singapore is not super stranger friendly” – Visakan Veerasamy
  - People make more small talk in the U.S. compared to Singapore; in Singapore, people tend to keep more to themselves
When Visakan last visited the U.S., he tried to chat with as many people as possible
- An invaluable life skill: Try to be naturally friendly without having an agenda of selling something or gaining something from someone
The good thing about the internet is that you can screen people for shared values
- You can also screen people in real life – If you’re into dancing, go to a salsa class; if you’re into working out, join a CrossFit gym
  - In both off-line and on-line interactions, it’s easier to socialize when you have a common interest
🎧 The fact of the matter is, people are lonely and hungry for deep, passionate conversations
If you focus on the differences between you and others. you’ll have very few friends
- So, find ways to bridge the gap between you and others

Global trade and shipping completely transformed Southeast Asia – the same thing is happening around the world because of the internet
- That said, there are still a ton of people who aren’t online yet
One great thing about people from all over the world coming online is that you get to learn about different cultural norms
- This also sheds light on how your own culture is unique
  - For example, Singapore is still homophobic and refuses to display ads depicting gay males
  - Another example: Cannabis is legal in parts of America, but in Singapore, it’s still very much frowned upon
One way change a country’s culture: Build a tech startup
- Look at how Uber went from nothing to completely transforming how people commute
- Similarly, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms have completely changed the media landscape

It’s interesting to learn about history and revisit it with our current lens
- “Look for examples of different times in which similar things were true” – Visakan Veerasamy
Visakan also recommends reading about the crazy events of the past
- He’s currently reading Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence by Tim Parks, which talks about how banking was a sin during those times
🎧 Just as traveling expands your mind, reading history will do the same
- Try to empathize with the struggles people faced in the past and remember that if people back then could survive through tough times, you can do the same today
Visakan also recommends the book Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastion Junger
- The book discusses why people build strong bonds during tough times

By most measures, life is better now than ever before
- Stewart recommends reading Factfulness by Hans Rosling for more on this subject
Stewart describes his podcast listeners as people who have one foot in the hippie world and the other in the business world