In my frank opinion, I think that Singapore predominantly uses extrinsic motivation. In today’s context, students strive to do well in their studies mainly due to financial factors rather than their own interests. Attractive incentives await those who do well among their cohort and good pay packages are in place for those who graduate from good universities. It is widely known that these are the main driving factors for ordinary students to work hard and perform the extraordinary. The financial attraction from a high paying job will greatly outdo the want and interests of these students. A quick google for the term “scholarships” will return a total of 28.8 million results in less than a second. The impact on the Singaporean society is great. It has transformed innocent minds into monsters whose eyes glow at the sight of money. It is a waste as they will not be true innocent childhood but a childhood aimed at gaining more money in their adult lives. It spoils the child’s development as a whole and contributes to a weaker but more financially driven society in the future.

As the article stated, the Health Minister proposed a market whereby human organs will be traded freely for financial incentives. As debated in parliament, the Members of Parliament are debating whether human organ trading should be due to intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Another debate is the moral issue behind human organ trading. It was argued that allowing sale, which is an extrinsic factor, would mean that more transplants will occur and thus, more lives will be saved. However, allowing the sale would also mean that the poorer patients would be unable to buy an organ and be condemned to eternal failure at getting an organ. Their healthy counterparts would then sell their organs to raise money which might be used to fund some undesirable activities such as drugs consuming, prostitution or gambling. From a society point of view, it is also wrong to sell what god gave us, and wrong to sell what our parents gave us at birth. The impact on the poor would be a rush to sell their organs to get fast cash, while the rich, will gain from this and are now able to now get a transplant at a quicker time. It might seem as a win-win situation. Allowing the poor to sell their organs is akin to giving the poor a fish and allowing him to survive for a day. It is more instrumental to impart practical skills so that the man can be fed for life.

Kenneth argued that Singaporeans do not litter not because they want to keep the streets clean but because they want to avoid the hefty fine. I, for one, disagree on this point. I am socially aware and I really wish to keep the place clean and green. I believe that there are many other likeminded Singaporeans out there who do not litter not for the sake of the fines placed but because they want to keep the place they call ‘home’ clean. This is actually an intrinsic factor rather an extrinsic one.

In conclusion, it is apparent that Singapore is a society driven on extrinsic factors while there are some instances whereby it is based upon intrinsic factors. This spoils our society as it devours the place of feelings and warmth.