06-08-21
“Try a Little Kindness” is a very popular song first recorded by country music singer Glen Campbell in 1969. The song was about being considerate of the needs and feelings of others. It was a super hit in the world. When I was a kid, TV in Hong Kong showed the music video almost twice a day. Campbell died aged 81 in 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Glen Campbell sang, “If you see your brother standing by the road with a heavy load from the seeds he sowed. And if you see your sister falling by the way, just stop and say, ‘You’re going the wrong way’…”
Hong Kong was planned to be developed as an art and cultural exchange hub between China and the rest of the world. Yet, the commonly found rude behaviours in the city have to be discouraged by way of family and school education.
In any society, there are bound to be more selfish people than the considerate ones; and this is true in Hong Kong as people here tend to be more and more individualistic. A selfish person is the one who puts his own wants first. He concerns with himself and does only those things that satisfy his own desires. The problem arises when you do things in a public place for your own interests and ignore the needs of those around you. You do not care if others will be jeopardized or not by your behaviour. Someone said, “I am thankful for the selfish people around. They have shown me exactly who I don’t want to be.” Do you?
Having gone through a long period of social issues and conflicts in Hong Kong, quite a large number of people, particularly the young, become anti-social. They, like the Joker character in the film The Dark Knight, embody and express a desire to upset social discipline, decency and order through breaking the rules told or imposed on them. This is a worrying trend. The discomfort of those affected amuse these selfish ones greatly, perhaps on par with being a kind of sadistic pleasure.
People swear, use ‘potty talk’ or use hurtful or socially unacceptable dirty words in public places. There may be a number of reasons why a person uses inappropriate language but basically, selfishness is the mentality.
Some talk on speakerphone, some talk loudly on the phone, some watch phone videos without headphones and some listen to music on their phones with the phone speakers on subway train and other public transports. It is a pity that in Hong Kong, there are tons of people who were not brought up to be quiet when they are in public spaces.
Many do not clean up dog urine or pick up dog poo when taking their dog for a walk outside. I wish one day, such selfish people would step on the poo of their own animals.
In a lift, many do not say ‘thank you’ to the one who holds the ‘door open’ button for them. They refuse to stand in the back or let others exit comfortably. They do not realize that with just one push of a button, they can help the elderly or disabled a lot in an elevator.
Priority seats are offered on public transport to people with special need such as elderly people, the disabled and pregnant women. It is a shame that some young people argued such a preferential treatment was against the concept of equality! Some refuse to yield their seats.
Hong Kong is a crowded city and passageways in supermarkets, shops, restaurants and toilets are narrow. Quite a number of people obstruct passageways, streets, sidewalks, hallways, aisles, exits and entrances to which others need access. I heard a man even defended in his quarrel, “For the enjoyment of public space, it should be on a first-come-first-serve basis!”
Why do people zigzag when walking or crossing a street? Some cross in front of you, from left to right and back again, without any realization that they may bump into others and put both in danger. More cities are discussing if they should make it illegal to mobile text while crossing the street?
Research showed that many rude individuals are deeply insecure, with low self-confidence and a lack of understanding about human behaviour. The bedrock of the problem is that rude people are often frustrated or fail; and they might be going through a lot and want to show it on others. One funny excuse, as I am aware of, is that he was too shy to be kind to others as most people were unkind.
Disrespect and selfishness are bad for the atmosphere around a city. The brand for a city is like a reputation for a person too. Hong Kong people must learn that when we earn reputation for Hong Kong, we are actually earning a fine reputation for us too. A rising tide lifts all boats!
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