Thinking Out Loud

My friend forwarded me a text message earlier today and it pretty much says – to be careful when you are driving. If someone knock on your window with bleeding hands/face and ask for tissue, do not wind down the window because very often than not, they are trying to rob you. And it goes on to say that in KL, Seremban, Klang and Johor area had reported more than 40 similar cases.

I recall a few emails along the line – to not offer help when a lost kid approach you and ask you to bring him home, to not offer help when you see a car broke down by the roadside, even if the owner tries to flag you down, and to not offer help when you see someone injured – because it might all be part of someone’s plan to harm you. Be it robbery, rape, or so on.

When faced with the situations above, it is human nature that we feel compassionate, and the normal thing to do and most will do, is to offer some help, however little it may be. Recognizing this element, people start to take advantage, if not exploit it. Sooner or later, we learn to not take any action which stem from the feeling anymore. And then, we learn to suppress it to make us feel better. And finally, we stop feeling altogether.

I remember a few incidents when I was younger where my dad had help people in need on the road, especially if he sees a car broke down. As I grow older, I realized now that it’s not that we don’t see people in need on the road anymore. It’s just that my dad is trying to be on the safe side and frankly, chances like that are not worth taking.

The way that society is going today, and if life and experiences is the greatest teacher, then part of it is no doubt teaching us to not feel, and to not act. Remember The Invasion. Is that an ideal world? Where everyone does not feel, so no one will take advantage of another.

But since we don’t have the virus in us and people are taking advantage of another, so some, in the effort of protecting themselves tend to say “Can you blame me if I’m cold?” In a way, it makes sense. After all, one has no legal duty to help another and omission is not a crime. But, let’s face it, it is human nature. While some do bad things, there are some who do good, or at least want to do good. So do we let these crimes stop us from doing good and end up not feeling anything in the long run, or do we find another way to help others and nurture the virtue of doing good in us.

I have no idea what is the point of this blog anymore because after typing it out, it just seems nothing more than me thinking out loud. But I guess, the message is – please still feel, and act in this crazy world. Or maybe one day we might not need the virus in The Invasion to live in the world like theirs.

Mayyie xxx