[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fMQCcW3cUNWYnDntnZgtnul571_IWw1efOUeggqKIGFI":3,"$fw28SvvGXcAi-0feKx8OilB-JGowKZbmEGmVWEZh3JRM":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},28330,"Cyril Wong","C",8,null,"cyril-wong",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},39293,"singapore",5,{"quotes":17,"pagination":221},[18,29,38,57,73,102,124,204],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":23,"source":24,"quote_tag":25,"commentary":9},781144,"What does it mean to write a story of your own life in your head? We all do that whether we are writers or not. We all have a story about who we are: what gender we are, what experiences we have . . . all sorts of stories and narratives we allow ourselves to believe in and create as we go along.",2,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[26],{"id":27,"tag":28},3661999,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},781143,"It is the teacher's and the lawmaker's responsibility to allow the child to express his feelings about growing up. What happens to a child at that particular age? It is a terribly vulnerable time, and if we provide youths with an environment to be free, to be expressive, without embarrassing them, without shaming them, they would grow up to be healthy, compassionate adults. Instead, if we force them to “belong, belong, belong,” they all become repressed. There is a complete absence of options.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[35],{"id":36,"tag":37},3661998,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":39,"quote_text":40,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":41,"source":42,"quote_tag":43,"commentary":9},741985,"Soon we were downloading ourselvesinto laptops, phones or pads, freerthan we had hoped,floating centrifugally across the Internetto swim alongside forgottenselfies, spam emails and porn",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[44,49,54],{"id":45,"tag":46},3568580,{"id":47,"tag_name":48},51,"poetry",{"id":50,"tag":51},3568582,{"id":52,"tag_name":53},22090,"speculative-fiction",{"id":55,"tag":56},3568581,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":58,"quote_text":59,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":60,"source":61,"quote_tag":62,"commentary":9},668188,"Names are what you can hear or see, but cannot smell or touch. I don't need a name, as name stand for things they are not, and I am what all names stand for. If you gave me a name, it would mean that we are separate, you and I, when we are not.- The Blind Girl and the Talking Moon",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[63,68],{"id":64,"tag":65},3375730,{"id":66,"tag_name":67},7809,"fables",{"id":69,"tag":70},3375731,{"id":71,"tag_name":72},10518,"names",{"id":74,"quote_text":75,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":76,"source":77,"quote_tag":78,"commentary":9},536036,"I mostly believe, deep in my bones, that life is very simply beyond description; regardless of what one makes of it, life always spills over the parameters of how anyone has chosen to define it.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[79,84,89,94,99],{"id":80,"tag":81},2930149,{"id":82,"tag_name":83},460,"fiction",{"id":85,"tag":86},2930151,{"id":87,"tag_name":88},2633,"novel",{"id":90,"tag":91},2930148,{"id":92,"tag_name":93},9455,"debut",{"id":95,"tag":96},2930150,{"id":97,"tag_name":98},17858,"lgbt",{"id":100,"tag":101},2930152,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":103,"quote_text":104,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":105,"source":106,"quote_tag":107,"commentary":9},439603,"Soon I find myself squatting on the floor. I am still striking my face; not with my fists this time, but with wide-open hands. I am slapping myself. The sounds I make when my palms meet my cheeks are like an unrelenting round of applause. I am clapping myself. Or clapping for myself. I start to giggle.All the voices are receding now. I am no longer filled with rage or disappointment. I clap and clap and simply cannot stop.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[108,111,116,121],{"id":109,"tag":110},2524343,{"id":82,"tag_name":83},{"id":112,"tag":113},2524345,{"id":114,"tag_name":115},1450,"short-stories",{"id":117,"tag":118},2524344,{"id":119,"tag_name":120},4802,"mental-illness",{"id":122,"tag":123},2524346,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":125,"quote_text":126,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":127,"source":128,"quote_tag":129,"commentary":203},181272,"If this turns to friendship, it only meansThat one of us will suffer.That when we meet after the worst of endings,There will only be this skein of words between us—Most of them for boredom, fewer for loneliness—Rising out of our mutual space of breath, leavingBehind a bluer sky each moment of departure.And one of us will cling on to its blue,Hung on partings like a muted cloud, whileThe other rides on a wing of word away from here.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[130,135,140,143,148,153,158,163,168,173,178,183,188,193,198],{"id":131,"tag":132},1161564,{"id":133,"tag_name":134},21,"hope",{"id":136,"tag":137},1161561,{"id":138,"tag_name":139},25,"love",{"id":141,"tag":142},1161557,{"id":47,"tag_name":48},{"id":144,"tag":145},1161565,{"id":146,"tag_name":147},89,"friendship",{"id":149,"tag":150},1161571,{"id":151,"tag_name":152},201,"lovers",{"id":154,"tag":155},1161563,{"id":156,"tag_name":157},222,"inspirational",{"id":159,"tag":160},1161558,{"id":161,"tag_name":162},831,"past",{"id":164,"tag":165},1161568,{"id":166,"tag_name":167},855,"boredom",{"id":169,"tag":170},1161566,{"id":171,"tag_name":172},1170,"endings",{"id":174,"tag":175},1161572,{"id":176,"tag_name":177},1855,"words",{"id":179,"tag":180},1161547,{"id":181,"tag_name":182},1889,"sky",{"id":184,"tag":185},1161545,{"id":186,"tag_name":187},2143,"suffering",{"id":189,"tag":190},1161543,{"id":191,"tag_name":192},2841,"absence",{"id":194,"tag":195},1161556,{"id":196,"tag_name":197},3034,"present",{"id":199,"tag":200},1161567,{"id":201,"tag_name":202},5449,"clouds","**The Backstory**\nThis poignant excerpt appears to be from a collection of poetry written by Cyril Wong, likely during his tumultuous early career as a poet. Born in 1977 in Singapore, Wong's work often grapples with themes of disconnection and longing. The era in which this poem was written is marked by the disillusionment of the post-9/11 world, where the fragility of human relationships became increasingly apparent.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nAt first glance, this passage seems to lament the inevitable decline of friendships. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a more profound truth: that even in the context of deteriorating relationships, there exists a peculiar beauty in the lingering words and memories between individuals. This insight highlights the paradoxical nature of human connection, where our attempts to hold on can simultaneously be an act of surrender.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, one might adopt the strategy of embracing the impermanence of relationships while still finding value in the residual connections that remain. By acknowledging and even leaning into the melancholy of parting, we can cultivate a sense of acceptance and appreciation for the fleeting moments of connection that punctuate our lives.",{"id":205,"quote_text":206,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":207,"source":208,"quote_tag":209,"commentary":220},133956,"There was no love that I could see or feel between the men and the women; only boredom. Yet, paradoxically, I could also tell that this was what everyone wanted: a family structure they could be unhappy in; at least it formed the basis of a stable home, a baseline to a life that would otherwise not be tethered to anything.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[210,215],{"id":211,"tag":212},874418,{"id":213,"tag_name":214},95,"marriage",{"id":216,"tag":217},874423,{"id":218,"tag_name":219},101,"relationships","**The Backstory**\nCyril Wong's quote, penned during a period when his personal life was marked by emotional detachment and social conformity, reflects his observations of societal norms in 1990s Singapore. His experiences, though unique, are situated within the broader cultural context of that era.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWong highlights a paradoxical desire for stability over genuine connection, where individuals settle for a mundane existence as long as it provides a sense of belonging and structure. This commentary on societal values reveals a tension between the human need for security and the longing for authentic relationships.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider not just your professional goals but also your personal desire for connection. Recognize that a \"stable home\" might be a necessary step in achieving long-term fulfillment, but do not confuse it with genuine happiness or meaningful relationships.",{"currentPage":222,"totalPages":222,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":223},1,10]