Just want to follow up a bit on Javert's post on a gracious society. His post lets me ponder, how do we define being a gracious society??
For me, I think its easier to just list some of my ideas of being a gracious society. And its not really a big list at all.
1) Be responsible for their own actions in the public. (Eg, If you smoke or wants to sneeze, make sure you are away from another person etc)
2) Be kind and thoughtful to all the people around you (sincerely, not face value)
3) Be polite when we talk or converse.
4) Be helpful to those who are in need of help.
5) Obey the law, rules or conditions.
I think just the 5 points above should be enough to be a gracious society but its easier said than done.
When I was young, we still talk to our neighbours and called them Auntie or Uncle (like Kampong). The main wooden door of my house is always opened unless at night and sometimes the gate is not lock when my sis and I went out and play with the other kids in the same block. Nowadays, people go back to their flats and locked their doors and gates. We are taught by our parents and teachers in school to be polite and respect the elders. My father and mother always set a good example to me by being polite to anyone we meet, giving up their seats on the bus to the elders or those who need it more than we do (and explain to us why we need to do it) What happened to the good old days?
Why is that so? What's happening to us?? Is our education really a failure? I'm sure those same values were taught by the parents of these "current" adults in Singapore. Like Javert did mentioned, if the adults don't set an example, our next generation will just be the same (or worse) than us. There must be another reason for this change. Is Singapore over crowded as a reason??
I think overcrowded may be a viable reason as its seen here in Thailand. People here in Maesai are more friendly and gracious than those in Bangkok. Rural people are warm and really really sincerely helpful. That's why I like it here (I hated Bangkok). So now our gahment really want 6 million people crowded on an island......
1 comment:
I think it all boiled down to the competitiveness in our Society.
The fact is Singaporean look down on the blue collar workers (cleaners, hawkers, maids, construction workers…..)
Our education systems are a big flaw, student are all taught to be result orientated. Streaming at young age of 9. Even before if you want get into a “good school” your parents have to pull some strings by being a volunteer or donating some money.
People are just too busy earning money, elevate their status in society, blowing their own trumpets, inflating their ego, apples polishing. No time to be polite.
It is actually easy to be gracious (point 1 – 5 by fat boy). But can you still do the same to those who are rude to you?
May time I will try to be polite when I talk to stranger, e.g macdonalds crews, table cleaners) but I find sometime these people are not courteous when they response. I sense they have a low self esteem, as they don’t feel they are being respected in the 1st place. So this became a vicious cycle.
There where Kiasu come about.
Why should I be polite when people are rude to me?
We all know the right think is to be nice to everyone but often it is much much easier said then done.
Also society had changed. People had become selfish, money orientated, it is getting more difficult to earn a living these days there more robbers and thief out there. So this explained the close doors symptom in Singapore.
Then then next question is why or how did we become like this?
Easy… ungracious government = ungracious Singaporean.
Wah broke your record for longest comments?
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