Do Singapore’s neighbours really see it as the ‘nerd’ of Southeast Asia?

Last week, a curious netizen posed a question asking whether Singaporeans were the “nerds of Southeast Asia”.

They particularly observed that the Singaporeans they knew have a tendency to be rule-abiding, and follow strict schedules.

This is in contrast to their Malaysian and Thai friends, who are more flexible in those areas.

While many commenters in the Reddit thread pointed out that Singaporeans are a diverse bunch, that still leaves the question of where this stereotype could have come from.

High achieving, but stressful people

Individuals across Southeast Asia who spoke to MS News agreed on a few common Singaporean traits.

They noted that Singaporeans are high-achieving and smart. However, they always seem stressed.

Benz, a Thai woman in her 30s, told MS News that she saw Singaporeans as a highly-talented people, shaped by an extraordinarily competitive society.

Compared to its neighbours, Singapore has a significantly higher ratio of skilled workers, she said.

Another respondent from Thailand, Tang, agreed with this perspective. To the woman in her 20s, it all begins with the Singaporean education system.

Because of its competitiveness, she said that Singaporeans often have very high standards.

“Not everything needs to be perfect but they have high standards,” she said.

Tang added that many Thais saw Singapore as a place to send students who were high-achievers.