The author defines "kiasu" as the fear of losing (out) which leads to avoiding risk, but I've always thought of it as the fear of missed opportunity which leads one to <i>take</i> risks.<p>I grew up in Singapore, and among many excellent things I can say about its education system I have but one criticism, which is that it tends to encourage students to think of themselves as a point along a continuum between a loser and a winner. This system quantizes an infinite combination of possibilities of achieving meaningful success into a few, e.g. doctor, lawyer, banker; and this article presents a perspective that is a typical product of that system.