The Titanic was sinking and there weren’t enough lifeboats. So the captain had to persuade male passengers to jump into the icy water to make room for women and children.
To the British, he said, “You must act like a gentleman.”
They jumped.
To the Americans, he said, “You can be heroes.”
They complied.
To the Germans, he said, “It’s the rule.”
They obeyed.
To the Japanese, he said, “It’s the consensus.”
They obliged.
Then came the Singaporean and they just weren’t budging until he came up with the appeal: “Free life jackets for those who jumped.”
Related posts:
You die, I die
United Nations survey
A to Z of kiasu mentality
