Simply Citified!

There is a hype about the latest effort to promote kindness and polite behaviour in Singapore. Campaigning to promote courtesy has been around in Singapore for very long - ever since I could remember. We used to have shows during our assembly period in schools once in a while to teach us (kids) the importance of being gracious and considerate to the people around us, or even just our family members. They even have a mascot for it in Singapore - Singa, the courtesy Lion. There is another mascot called Sharity the Elephant which promotes sharing and caring through charitable behaviour.

  

Singaporeans are renowned for being very rude and selfish. Probably that's why the necessity for these campaigns. More about this below. For now, this is the video of the campaign. Enjoy.

Honestly, I was very impressed with this idea - very refreshing. It catches your attention immediately and the message is sent across very quickly. It's something like a reverse version of a flash mob. 

Time is of course the most precious element in every Singaporean's life. Time is money here, and that is the reason why many people are inconsiderate and thinking only about themselves. They give their all to try and live in their little bubbles, be it in the MRT or while walking, shutting themselves out from the outside world by listening to songs using earphones or by busily playing games on their mobile phones. 

Hidden under the facade of the glitz and glam of a city lifestyle is a population of people who live very hectic lives. In their hectic lifestyles, they forget to enjoy the finer things in life, I must say. Money becomes the biggest motive and they sell their souls to the devil called work. This results in everyone feeling deprived of their lives or enjoyment in life. Workloads get bigger but their pay cheques are hardly enough, no matter how much you earn.... And as the list grows, so does their disappointment  and resentment towards this lifestyle. 

People are so stressed up that they make themselves believe that they simply do not even have the time for a smile when someone smiles at them on a bus or a train. The day starts early in the morning, and the bus or train is always crowded on your way to or from work or school. On the rare occasions that one gets a seat in the MRT or bus, they want to keep it for themselves until the end of their ride. And because of that, we have a system called "priority seating", which is short for "give up these seats when you see an elderly person, a pregnant lady, a disabled person or anyone at all whom you think needs the seat more than you at any given point". Sadly though, the reality is very different. 

I know of many people who actually avoid these "Priority seats" because they say they'll have to give up the seats to those who need it more. What kind of logic is that? They have the mentality that if they sit elsewhere they do not have to give up their seats if they see someone who needs it more than them. So enlighten me, is that your conscience or ignorance speaking?

That is the most selfish and dumb reasoning I've ever heard, but the sad thing is that a lot of people think this way. 

Then there are the elderly people who think that the priority seat is a privilege that's entitled only to them. I've come across several elderly people in the MRT who actually fight to get the priority seat. They're not ashamed to create a scene in public. Even if there are other seats available on the MRT, they demand to get the priority seat. Many similar incidents involving youngsters and the elderly have been recorded and uploaded in YouTube. 

These videos are often peppered with bystanders shouting "Shut up lah" from some random corners of the MRT (very often, a safe distance away from whoever is taking the video). Wow bystander, that took a hell of a lot of guts and it helps a lot in resolving the issue. 

It is of course good that there are such movements reminding people to take time to be kind and nice to others, but I find it really saddening that we actually need these kinds of reminders on a constant basis for such a simple thing. I mean, it is really sad that people need reminders to smile or just say a simple "thank you" or "sorry" or "excuse me" when needed.

All these promotions, videos and talks only help on a surface level. It's like cosmetic make up, trying hide the flaws in the basic characteristics of Singaporeans. What they should do instead is actually work on the core of the matter - what really makes Singaporeans so rude and inconsiderate? By this, I do not mean to say that everyone is rude. There are a handful of people who are genuinely nice. These people, perhaps, know the deeper meaning to life, and wish to make a difference starting with themselves.

Since internet and YouTube became a hit among citizens, people watch more videos regarding this matter, and I see that more youngsters are aware of these issues. Youngsters these days are trained to think out of the box and analyze various situations and they apply these skills into daily life activities and news that they hear. While many choose to live in their teenage world and not bother, there are others who take in these issues, analyze and try to make a change in the society. This has to be applauded and the elders ought to watch and learn from them.

In the 21st century, where societal norms are going through radical changes, I guess that the faith in humanity will eventually be restored. Everything is, after all, a cycle.