Paper-perfect but not reality-perfect

Yin Kai Law (Vince)
4 min readJul 2, 2021
Photo by Isabella and Zsa Fischer on Unsplash

Have you ever purchased a dress online that looked great on the model only to realize later that you didn’t look flattering in it? Though the dress is the right size, you are probably confused as to why it doesn’t fit you well. Then you realized the model’s proportions were slightly off, which gave her an enhanced fit that looked camera-perfect for the marketing photoshoot.

After feeling disappointed about the purchase, a lack of refunding policy made things even worse. Meanwhile, that “perfect” looking dress lies in your closet. Having complained about this dress to your friends, you discouraged them from going ahead and purchasing it. And you repeat this cycle every time you shop online.

It’s similar to how some people are unable to reproduce the results from the “ideal” solutions offered by their family and friends. Though we couldn’t deny the fact that it worked for them, it didn’t quite work as most people might not comprehend the entire context and trade-offs involved. With these solutions no longer relevant, the only thing left is disappointment and uncertainty.

When we are looking for solutions desperately, it becomes even more complicated. We often rely on search engines to find answers, and, since many of those solutions come from Google, we tend to take the information we find at face value. If it reaches a consensus, the information becomes widely accepted as most credible.

Although I am not dismissing the possibility that it may work for the masses, I am annoyed when someone cites a famous person’s advice and implements it exactly like a holy grail.

Invest early

Adopt 50–30–20 rule to expedite your progress in your financial journey

Taking more risks when you are young is a good thing

Give birth to a child before you turn 30

Work hard when you are young, find a well-paying job, and marry a wealthy person

The following educational/career path will help you achieve financial success and social standing

Be an entrepreneur and don’t work a 9–5 job

The roles in some industries are not conducive to long-term success

A particular industry can make you a lot of money

Photo by Frank Holleman on Unsplash

Although the list is not exhaustive, you have to admit; it makes sense, doesn’t it? The question is, how will it fare realistically?

Though it appears relatively simple to understand, executing it isn’t as straightforward as it seems. We must understand how these people came to have their problems and why they chose the solutions they did.

Analytical by nature, I am skeptical of simple advice which made me think about how I was going to apply it to my life. To help me decide if I was going to use one or two solutions, I came up with a list of questions.

What circumstances are they facing?

What are their backgrounds?

What kind of personalities do they have?

How did the solution or advice come about?

In what ways or with whom do they find inspiration?

Is it something I can relate to?

How can I apply it to any aspect of my life?

Will I be able to manage myself if I follow the advice?

If the solution doesn’t work out, will I regret it?

I am being overly conservative here as, in spite of the best intentions, there is no 100% guarantee of getting the right results from any given advice. Having a certain filter helps us to navigate and filter out poor advice from the good one since I don’t believe in having wrong advice.

Whenever we receive advice, we should never take it as it is, since we can never be sure if it will work for us. In order to achieve our goals, we need to avoid being swayed by what others think and allow their opinions to steer us away.

While asking for a second opinion is fine in my opinion, ultimately we have to make our own decisions and stick to them. At the end of the day, what matters is that we know what we want to achieve, no matter how society judges it.

Take time to consider whether this is really what you want, and be accountable for every action you take. Open yourself to changes, and change your decision if you no longer feel resonant with or agree with it.

To conclude, there is an old saying that says if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

About The Author:

Vince Law is an Accountancy graduate from Singapore Management University. He has worked at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms and having completed a consulting internship with an SME in Singapore. After his graduation, he will be heading to one of the Big 4 Accounting firms as a business consultant. During his free time, he writes on topics related to personal development and current affairs through his lens.

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Yin Kai Law (Vince)

Ex-Big 4 Auditor & Freelance writer from Singapore | Big Advocate on Mental Health and Personal Development | Writes at https://lawyinkai.wordpress.com/