The timely and insightful commentary by Dr Arthur C. Brooks ("Life is unfair to me and it's your fault"; Dec 28) calls for serious reflection from all of us.

Aggressive antagonism and consequential conflicts give rise to the prevailing culture of intense competition, where one's selfish and private interests are being advanced and protected.

In that process, we see the cancerous growth of the culture of victimhood, claims of entitlement, anger at perceived injustices and retaliatory reactions.

This response benefits no one and harms everybody.

We need to engage in a more responsible manner, with more dispassionate negotiations for solutions addressing our common welfare and our future, such as climate change and terrorism.

We need to cultivate, while we still have time, a new culture of peaceful cooperation instead of harmful competition.

We have to narrow the widening gaps and build bridges of understanding to share ideas and projects which lead to peace.

It is the responsibility of those who shape public opinion and wield political and economic power to internalise and act to fashion a more egalitarian culture. The future begins now.

Yap Kim Hao (Rev Dr)