"Your Brain Treats The City Like a Temple": Indian Techie On Singapore's Cleanliness Culture

An Indian tech professional based in Singapore recently shared how the city-state transformed his personality, specifically regarding his sense of civic duty and accountability. In an Instagram video, Aman revealed how his habits and outlook have gradually changed since moving to Singapore. One of the first shifts he noticed was in his attitude toward cleanliness. Aman said that since relocating, he has stopped looking for a "trash corner" to discard waste. Instead, he now feels guilty if even something as small as a receipt slips out of his pocket.

The change, he admitted, is hardly surprising given Singapore's reputation as one of the cleanest city-states in the world. "The floor is so clean, your brain treats the whole city like a temple," Aman said. He also spoke about how everyday experiences feel different there. For instance, late-night walks in Singapore have become therapeutic for him. Back in India, however, stepping out alone at 3 am often felt more like an "extreme sport," he remarked.

Aman added that the famous Indian ‘jugaad' mindset doesn't quite work the same way in Singapore. "The jugaad mindset dies a slow death," he said, pointing out that systems and rules are followed much more strictly.

According to him, even people's vocabulary tends to change. Instead of speaking in long sentences, conversations often become brief and direct, reduced to simple responses like "can" or "cannot." Perhaps the most significant change, Aman said, is the development of civic sense. Living in Singapore has made queuing a natural habit for him, and he now automatically stands in line, even if there are only two people ahead.

"Consistency in cleanliness, consistency in safety, and consistency in the way people respect each other's space. You stop being the guy who looks for shortcuts and start being the guy who clears his own tray," he captioned the video.

Watch the video here:

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Users in the comments section agreed with Aman's perspective and shared their thoughts. One user wrote, "Actually, living in Singapore in your 20s teaches you a lot of life lessons."

Another commented, "SG makes me disciplined and actually teaches the time value of 1 min also... here the people have civic sense that's why it's a very clean country, the safest for women to walk at night with no worries, but yeah, here living expenses are expensive."

"So rightly said. Be it carrying an umbrella or a hat while leaving home, checking for bus arrival time on an app, or queuing for everything," said a third user, while a fourth added, "So beautifully put... the habit of not looking over your shoulder thinking someone might rob or kill or tease you... really hit me the hardest."