Tesla CEO Shares Video of Singapore’s Former PM Discussing Sensitivity Culture

On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), expressed admiration for comments made by Singapore’s former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about “wokeness.” Musk shared a video clip of Lee’s remarks, captioning it simply as “Wisdom.”

The video, part of an interview conducted shortly before Lee stepped down in May 2024, shows him discussing the rising sensitivity to issues such as racism and identity in the West, particularly around what has become known as “wokeness.”

Lee explained that this movement often leads to hypersensitivity, where people become overly reactive to the opinions or actions of others, demanding respect from others that they feel entitled to. His remarks were in response to a question on racism posed by Berita Harian’s Hadi Saparin.

The concept of wokeness, originally tied to greater awareness of social issues like racial injustice, sexism, and LGBTQ+ rights, has evolved, and in recent years, has drawn criticism, especially from conservative circles, who view it as a negative trend of excessive political correctness. Musk’s endorsement of Lee’s perspective underscores the growing discourse on the topic.