Our All-Time Favourite People

As we come to the end of 2020, it’s time again to collect and share the sentiments of this year’s readers and interviewees in our series, The Wisdom of Crowds. To start, here’s a question about favourite people. Here are our interviewees’ and interviewers’ choices. What about you? Who is your all-time favourite person? Let us know your favourite in the comments box below. 

Q: Who is your all-time favourite person and why?

Choo Bin Yong, game designer who runs solo:
Hayao Miyazaki. I feel inspired by his passion and drive to keep creating works throughout his life.

Kauai, 2020 LUCK-IT Interviewer: 
Stephen Chow. He is a legend of 90s comedy. The movies he made were very influential not only because they were entertaining but also because they told the stories of Hongkongers of that era.

Siddharth Mazumdar, 17-year-old inventor:
John Locke. He constructed a basis for civil society which ensures the rights we enjoy today, which allow us to be free, and empowers us to help others.

Jason Koh, dungeon master:
I’ve always been impressed by the decisiveness, tenacity and vision of Lee Kuan Yew. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to say I’m a bit of a fan.

Kinge, who quit social media: 
Neville Goddard. In my search for meaning of life, I found myself reading content from many great minds and writers such as Napoleon Hill, Aristotle, Earnest Holmes, Earl Nightingale, James Allen, Jim Rohn, Tesla among others but there is something about Neville’s teachings and writings. They teach you who you are, the real you within, how to use your imagination and observe reality with a new set of eyes leading to self-discovery that changed my life. As Marcel Proust says, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”  

Joan, a minimalist:
Maynard James Keenan. Many non-TOOL fans would say he’s just a pseudo intellectual, but hey, he makes great music. I also enjoy how all 3 of his bands do represent the 3 broad scopes of the human existence—mind, body, spirit. Overall, I am always very intrigued by individuals who are pretty much unconventional.

Yip Yew Chong, a muralist:
My wife, I love her lah.

Cedric, child-free by choice:
My partner, Joan, because she is firmly child-free!

Cho Jun Ming, N-Level student and film-maker who lost his father early:
My father. Because he’s a very patient, calm-minded man and whenever he faced any obstacles, he would take it up himself and not let his emotions control him or affect his family. As a kidney dialysis patient who had undergone dialysis for over 20 years, he didn’t mention pain nor did he ever want to give up. He persevered so I really like his resilience, calm and patience. 

Victor Fernando R. Ocampo, speculative fiction author:
My wife, Patricia who is my sounding board and idea-generator as well as always, my first (and most vicious) editor.  

Leanne, popular Instagrammer:
My beloved grandpa. He just is.

Norsham Mohd, a former Muslim:
I like to say my husband. I still love and adore him after more than 20 years of marriage and 13 years of courtship. He’s been there for me most of the time. There is so much I still need to learn about him.

Sean Munger, a former Atheist:
My husband, because I love him.

Ms Lena Lok, founder of an art school:
My mother-in-law! She’s an amazing woman who’s still very active for her age. She embraces life by pursuing a variety of activities—hiking, sewing, knitting, cooking, baking, floral arrangements and even volunteers her time with different communities. She’s a great role model for active ageing, haha!

Oliver Chong, a theatre practitioner who has schizophrenia:
My dad. He gave me his life. 

Dr Bob Rich, author of 18 books:
Sylvia Kryz. She is an 84-year-old lady who was born inside my computer, and wrote the novel, “Hit and Run”. I’d really, really love to be like Aunt Sylvia. Why? Read the first chapter, which is on the page I linked to.

Simon Templar, retired US Marine:
Jesus Christ.  He came to Earth to save.

Sy, who runs LUCK-IT:
I actually have a large collection of vastly different favourite people who inspire and educate me in vastly different ways. If I had to single out one helpful one here though, it’d probably be Buddha for his philosophies on inter-relatedness (everything is cause and effect), suffering (stop greed, anger and ignorance to stop suffering) and understanding the nature of things. I’m not even Buddhist (I identify as agnostic) but those simple philosophies have been quite helpful and effective for decision-making purposes enough times throughout my life for me to rather like the guy. 

Tony, 80-year-old blogger:
I can’t think of a single all time favorite person. I admire anyone of any age who lives an intelligent life and does positive life-oriented acts. As a writer I have favorite authors, but won’t single out just one. I do love Beethoven’s music. I guess I admire him the most.

More in The Wisdom of Crowds series here.

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