A sense of humanity- The Malaysian Insider
January 17, 2013 — Imagine this. A man of mixed Caucasian and Malaysian Chinese parentage, owning up to no religion, close friends with people of all races, religions and walks of life, whose passing is feted, not mourned by the rainbow of humanity that is Malaysia.
A man who had no titles, no fancy designations, not a lot of money but the force of whose charm, intellect and generosity was such that he was unforgettable to practically all who knew him. All of us at some point have met people with such strength of character that they make us forget for a time our prejudices, beliefs and entrenched positions to bask in the glow of somebody that is completely open, non-judgemental, opinionated yet flexible.
But they are a shrinking minority. In the cacophony of shrill voices that lay down edicts on matters best left between people and their gods, politicians who seem to have lost all sense of propriety and an increasingly polarised citizenry that only accepts the black or white of “for us or against us”, civilised discourse is increasingly hard to come by.
We talk a lot at each other, but very little with each other. The outlook is truly bleak when the education system seems to be hell bent on taking the country backwards, when all the races feel cheated by the way education and employment opportunities are distributed, when religious grouses top the headlines and the best talents feel compelled to leave the country.
Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast. Hope that those of us who remember a gentler, more empathetic time will try and pass on those values to those under our care, hope that at least in some instances our common humanity will triumph over narrow partisan interests, hope that a spiritual nation will learn to live and let live, and hope that Malaysia can rediscover a sense of shared destiny, where co-operation wins over supremacy of one over the other.
Life can be cruel, short and unforgiving and very often not worth the effort, but sometimes all it takes is one heart-warming story to uplift us, inspire us and help to make a difference to us and others. People who live on in our memories are those who understood the value of relationships in an uncertain, ephemeral world. People who had the time, empathy and a willingness to listen, people who understood the difference between what is important and what is urgent.
Leading a full life does not necessarily come at the expense of others, and does not need the crutches of arrogance and bigotry. Maybe a little bit of humility and self-doubt is the key to a life worth celebrating. Here’s to Steven Loong who truly exemplified what it means to live life to the fullest.
A man who had no titles, no fancy designations, not a lot of money but the force of whose charm, intellect and generosity was such that he was unforgettable to practically all who knew him. All of us at some point have met people with such strength of character that they make us forget for a time our prejudices, beliefs and entrenched positions to bask in the glow of somebody that is completely open, non-judgemental, opinionated yet flexible.
But they are a shrinking minority. In the cacophony of shrill voices that lay down edicts on matters best left between people and their gods, politicians who seem to have lost all sense of propriety and an increasingly polarised citizenry that only accepts the black or white of “for us or against us”, civilised discourse is increasingly hard to come by.
We talk a lot at each other, but very little with each other. The outlook is truly bleak when the education system seems to be hell bent on taking the country backwards, when all the races feel cheated by the way education and employment opportunities are distributed, when religious grouses top the headlines and the best talents feel compelled to leave the country.
Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast. Hope that those of us who remember a gentler, more empathetic time will try and pass on those values to those under our care, hope that at least in some instances our common humanity will triumph over narrow partisan interests, hope that a spiritual nation will learn to live and let live, and hope that Malaysia can rediscover a sense of shared destiny, where co-operation wins over supremacy of one over the other.
Life can be cruel, short and unforgiving and very often not worth the effort, but sometimes all it takes is one heart-warming story to uplift us, inspire us and help to make a difference to us and others. People who live on in our memories are those who understood the value of relationships in an uncertain, ephemeral world. People who had the time, empathy and a willingness to listen, people who understood the difference between what is important and what is urgent.
Leading a full life does not necessarily come at the expense of others, and does not need the crutches of arrogance and bigotry. Maybe a little bit of humility and self-doubt is the key to a life worth celebrating. Here’s to Steven Loong who truly exemplified what it means to live life to the fullest.
Comments
Post a Comment