Kindness is part of our nature (Forum, A23, Tuesday April 7th)
Mr Koh Poh Tiong, Chairman of the Singapore Kindness Movement, writes that he is heartened by the nation's reaction to the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Many people did countless acts of kindness to others, united in our grief about his passing. However, he believes that kindness is a part of humanity, and these acts were not remarkable in the least except the time in which it was performed.
I believe that his words ring true for most of us, as we are all used to the little acts of kindness that brighten up the whole day, like offering a helping hand, and the like. Kindness should not be a remarkable act when it is performed, as if it is so, it indicates the cruelty of a particular society and the selfishness of it. While it is definitely possible to live without the presence of kindness, without it, life would be a considerably darker place, where coldness and self-centeredness reigns. While kindness should not be taken for granted, we should always remind ourselves that kindness should be "a dime a dozen", so to speak, and be ever present in our society.
Yes I agree on what you have written. I do believe that kindness is a part of us. I personally think acts of kindness is something that should be done on a daily basis. Kindness is definitely something that we should appreciate in our lives because it is something that makes our life a lot better than it is if our lives were devoid of kindness. However, I do also agree on the point that acts of kindness should not be remarkable, because i believe that it is part of us to be kind to one another. After all, we're all human beings and we all live on this planet, being nice to one another just makes the planet a better place. I always remember to pass on the act of kindness if someone is nice to me that day and this makes the environment we live in a better place for us to live in. To conclude, I think kindness is something that should be in each of us but at the same time it is something we should be thankful for.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, kindness ought to be a way of life. If so, it becomes a natural part of us and there will not be anything remarkable, so to speak, about these acts of kindness. However, the human condition predisposes people to sometimes allow their darker sides take over and we fail to do what we know are the humane acts of kindness. I reckon that is why hen we notice these acts of kindness, we want to celebrate the greater virtues of mankind. And perhaps then we can truly say that we are a civilised species.
ReplyDeleteYes, I too, think that kindness plays an important role in our daily life, making this a better society. I still remember that time when the widely known SINGA was here in Singapore to constantly remind people to be kind. However, it was soon being removed, thinking that Singapore has improved, and that we are one step closer to a graceful society. A single small act of kindness might not seem to have any effect on this point, but sum up the total number of small acts of kindness, and this would leave us with either an improvement or nothing at all. Therefore, I agree with your point of view and hope that Singapore would grow to be a better place for us all in future, with these acts of kindness going on in this tiny red dot.
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