当善行不再具感染力

原文:私人辅导师James Leong 根据日行一善理事会(SKM)民调,每四位青年中就有一位因为害臊尴尬,而不敢在大庭广众面前表达善意。这个介于15岁-24岁的青年群体,会认为伸出援手的行为一旦被社交媒体广传,会令他们看起来相当愚蠢,或担心被别人嘲笑。 我可以预见可能网民会指责这些青年,行善理应无私怎么还要在意自己;又或者也指责那些被帮助的人也太过固执或自以为是。 你看,我们新加坡人非常喜欢数字,因为量化的数字能慰籍我们对不稳定和“怕输”心态的焦虑。甚至于乎它是毋庸置疑的、能起到左右制定政策的作用。 所以,即便日行一善理事会感觉良好的民调也会引起些许不适,是很正常的,之后就有责难、然后还要发展出我们的一套理论,来让情况合理化。 我也是感到难辞其咎的人之一。我在翻阅该篇研究时发现了研究中的漏洞。为什么问卷内并不含族群的选项?研究对象的家庭入息呢?研究对象的教育程度又如何?我顶着这些疑问,甚至寄信到日行一善秘书长Dr William Wan要求他为此提供解释,因为这很可能表示社会上隐性阶层分裂的现象。 我想,这些遗失的信息,或许能揭示在帮助较不幸者时感到的羞愧,其实是因为我们对自身享有的优势感到不适。 两日后我看见一件简单但具震撼的事情,或许此刻所有的调查结果、辅导理论或经济社会现象看似多余。 那是一个周三下午,当天天气恶劣,我看见一个老人在惹兰勿刹上行走,他手上并没有任何雨具。他为了不被雨淋湿,步履蹒跚往熟食中心前去,走在他身边是一名东南亚外籍客工,他一手撑伞一手拿着施工材料。老人向他点点头,而工人本能地就和老人一起共用雨伞,直到他们到达遮雨棚下才各自散开。…

When kindness isn’t contagious

by James Leong According to the folks at Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), one in four…

Two suspected drug offenders arrested at Redhill Market and 1.2 kg ‘mushroom’ seized

Two suspected drug offenders were arrested in the afternoon of 24 June…

TTSH asks elderly patient’s son to remove Facebook postings against hospital

It was reported on TOC yesterday (26 Jun), that the son of…

POFMA has been gazetted – it is now the law of the land

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) is officially in…

Netizens raise concerns on announcement of 10,000 tech-related jobs to be created by new government office

With the formation of a new government office announced by the Minister…

Ex-Keppel agent pleads guilty in massive Petrobras bribery scandal

An ex-agent of the US branch of Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine…

Online users remain unimpressed after Singtel CEO took 43% pay cut to S$3.5 million in challenging year hit

With a 44% drop in net profit in what was deemed as…

Maybank says SG to enter recession while MAS reports its net profit jumped to $19.2B

According to a Bloomberg report yesterday (26 Jun), Maybank Kim Eng Research…

No intentions to repeal 377A for now; law “has not inhibited people from living”: PM Lee

While the government does not intend to repeal Section 377A of the…