Why I Feel Proud of Myself – And Sometimes Look Down on Others Who Don’t Work Hard It’s not easy to admit, but I’ve noticed something about myself that I’ve been reflecting on lately. I often feel proud of how hard I work, the effort I put into my goals, and the discipline I’ve built over time. But alongside that pride, I sometimes catch myself looking down on others who don’t seem to work as hard. Deep down, I know I’m not perfect—I have my flaws, limitations, and moments of weakness. So why do I still feel this way? Why do I judge others while being aware of my own imperfections? In this blog post, I want to explore this contradiction. I’m not here to justify it, but to understand it better. Maybe by putting these thoughts into words, I can make a little more sense of myself—and maybe someone out there reading this will feel a little less alone in their own thoughts, too. Pride in Effort I’m proud of myself when I work hard. I value discipline, consistency, and showing up ...
Finding a job in Malaysia back in 2016 wasn’t easy. When I graduated in 2015, fresh graduate roles were everywhere. I had several offers lined up. But looking back, I made a naive choice—I turned them all down to pursue a master’s degree. It made my family proud, but not me. I never understood what they were so happy about. I wasn’t aiming to be a lecturer, and I was becoming overqualified for entry-level jobs. After three months, I didn’t feel the consequences until I quit my research assistant job. That’s when reality hit. Browsing through Jobstreet, I saw hundreds of people applying for the same roles. It was overwhelming. Retrenchments in Malaysian companies and a constant wave of new graduates flooded the market. My heart sank. That’s when I decided to look beyond Malaysia and try my luck in Singapore. At first, I set my salary expectations higher and applied only to jobs that matched my interests. After weeks with no response, I lowered my salary range and stopped being picky...