The world is a diverse place. Nobody has a monopoly on virtue or

In the vast tapestry of the world, countless threads are woven together—each representing a culture, a belief, a tradition, and a way of life. When Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, declares that “The world is a diverse place. Nobody has a monopoly on virtue or wisdom,” he speaks to an eternal truth: no single people, no single nation, and no single soul possesses the ultimate key to righteousness or understanding. Diversity is not a weakness to be feared, but a strength to be cherished, for through the mingling of different paths, humanity discovers harmony and growth.

Virtue and wisdom are like rivers, flowing freely across the lands. Some streams may be deep and ancient, while others are fresh and swift, but none flow alone to form the ocean of human knowledge. When one group proclaims itself the sole bearer of truth, history shows the calamities that follow. The rise of empires built on arrogance and conquest often leads to their eventual ruin, for the world rejects the hand that seeks to grasp it entirely. True greatness lies not in dominion, but in humility—the understanding that every voice may hold a fragment of the greater whole.

Consider the tale of Singapore itself. Once a small island with limited resources, it became a thriving nation not through isolation, but by embracing the diversity of its people—Chinese, Malay, Indian, and many others—each bringing their own virtues and wisdom. Through unity and mutual respect, Singapore rose to prosperity, a living testament to the power of inclusivity. If its leaders had insisted on one culture, one belief, or one way alone, the city would have faltered like a tree whose roots are shallow and divided.

History also speaks through the ashes of war. In the time after World War II, nations were forced to confront the horrors wrought by ideologies that claimed moral supremacy. The world learned that when any power believes it alone holds the right to decide what is good or just, tyranny follows. The creation of the United Nations was a step toward acknowledging global diversity and shared responsibility—a recognition that the fate of humanity is a collective journey, not the triumph of a single voice.

Thus, let this teaching be passed to future generations: wisdom is a treasure scattered across the earth, hidden in many hearts and many lands. Seek it not in one temple, one book, or one people alone, but in the endless dialogue between nations and souls. Like the stars above, each shining point of light adds to the vast constellation of human understanding. Only when we see this interconnected brilliance shall we walk the path of peace and shared destiny.