Why are the Singaporeans so self-conscious?

Poor Singaporeans. They are the internal organs of a semi-transparent larva. The country's too small, the skin's too thin. Too many eyes in the shrinking world watching them. Too many accents to juggle, too many types of cultures to strike a balance with. The Singaporeans are like the adolescent immigrants struggling with identity issues in the big big world. Is this the inherent debate of a small country who, by some amazing-growth formula got into propserity in a daze?