Singapore is launching Social Kindness Movement Campaign. it tries to teach people to be gracious and kind towards others. Kindness Campaign, teaching kindness. As weird as it sounds, kindness might not be as obvious to modern society that has strong individualism.
Singapore might be one of the safests, but it’s also cold society. Small gestures and graciousness are sometimes received as alien code of communication, with inability to reply or appreciate. If you dip into cold pool, you’ll feel the cold and your body start to adjust, that’s what happen for many of us who have been staying too long here. We might not lose it, but there are so many situations that refrain us from practicing it. It’s second skin that we try to shake off but sometimes it sticks. Phew, seems like I’m all for metaphor this morning!
So, is it worthwhile to teach kindness? Well, I’m not sure whether it can be ‘taught’, but for what I know, little kindness and good gestures do make your day and make you fell good.
Kindness is not exactly the same with gentlemaness , it’s not even a word!!! But it's not that different. Beside kindness, Singapore seriously lack of gentlemanless. I can’t speak for other countries, again, I might be here too long to know.
To relate to gentlemaness, women are demanding and selfish creature. I don’t deny that. Not that I want to speak for all women, but we are like that at certain level. ‘Certain level’ is different for everyone.
One of the solid example about why I said that is the fact that women always demand equity in gender, but they also prefer the Adam counterpart to treat them better because they are, eh, we are women.
In fact, we like gentlemen. Who doesn’t? Even guy likes gentlemen. A sort of person who treat other people with dignity and respect, esp women. In our dictionary, it’s like the sort of person who respect and protective to their female companions.
Well, it feels nice when a guy is being attentive, for example, like even during a simple meal. Small things like pulling the seat, pouring the tea or taking far far away dishes for you are very nice gestures. It can be a rarity with modern society where equity of gender is more prominent than ever. That makes it more precious.
Supportng that, women hate ungentlemen bastards the most. Well, harshly put, it doesn’t mean someone who don’t do the gentlemen things, which make up the most of society, but more for someone who does the opposite. It’s totally fine nowadays that getlemanlism is dying or given exclusive to people with better appearance, but we hate it the most when a guy breaks every rules. Cutting the queue, fighting seat in public train with elderly, pregnant woman or woman in general, brushing and pushing people aside to get to their destination are taken more seriously if the offenders are men. Female offenders, we could just frown upon them ‘seen that’ attitude, but for male offender, the reaction is mostly ‘such a bastard’.
I would personally say that gender equity can never work in every things. Male and female are different gender, perceived in different way, that are many things that don’t work in female favor, and vice versa. Life is unfairly fair. This is just one of them.
That is why it’s such a pleasant experience that I have an impressive neighbor kid, well, not really neighbor, the kid lives in the same block. Certain time of the morning, I would see the same people in the elevator. And this kid would go out of the lift, presses the button and patiently waits for all passengers to alight. I though he did it because there was a mother pushing a pram, it took time for her to get out, but apparently he does it for everyone, whoever sharing a lift or even me alone. I think it’s a very nice gesture that has become quite a rarity here, too bad not half of the people bother to say thank you.
Well, it’s never too early or too late to adapt such a behavior, that honestly, make everyday life feels better. I can collect vividly how a friend of mine was cursing for half a day before a man let the door close on her face while she was carrying bulky thins. And good gesture or ‘gentlemen’ behaviors is not exclusive to man, but for woman too. Nothing physical can differentiate the way someone can or can not do good gestures, because it’s so diverse and can be practices in many ways, many situations and opportunities.
So, as cynical as I am, let’s be kind!
P.S: By the time I post this, I’m quite pissed and amazed of what the campaign has become.
Yah, it had raised some awareness, but it also wake up the dead of ‘regulation freaks’. I can almost find in newspaper daily call from public to suggest that government emphasize the rule with punishment or fine for ‘unkindness’, for example, those who don’t give seat to needy. Holly molly, don’t we have enough regulation?! What’s up when everything is being regulated like that, I’ll take it as “whatever is not punishable, then it’s okay to do society”. Is there a sense of common sense?? Even my dogs knew when they did wrong, they’d give me ‘that’ face, they don’t need regulation to realize.
Can’t understand these people. Huh. ??? Huh.
Anyway, these control freaks don’t recognize people not giving up seat might need it desperately too, that needy might not be visible, pregnancy is not watermelon look on your face. What about women with early pregnancies. What about people who are sick, how to define? Put a stamp in their forehead?
So, my opinion, next campaign.. let’s fine and punish regulation freaks! Geez.
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