National Identity

What is national identity? This can be easily defined as the set of common values or past experiences which Singaporeans share. One oft-repeated value is that Singaporeans are kaisu, or afraid to die. Yet, it is also often noted that such values aren't unique to Singaporeans. Indeed, this is true since selfishness is a common characteristic that can be easily observed across boundaries. However, this does not mean that this 'kiasu' value then loses its relevance to the national identity of Singapore. As defined, a national identity is a set of common values or past experiences. In this case, the uniqueness of the Singaporean identity comes about from this set instead of just an individual value.