ABOUT two months ago, he died. His tragic death shook the entire world. Millions of people cried, unable to come to terms with it.
Over a week ago, she died. And it felt like life is so dispensable. At any moment, people can just leave us.
Is it only through death that we realise the goodness in life? Why does it take death to make us want to better ourselves, to help the helpless?
I’m not going to name people. Many good people die every day before we even realise their qualities.
There are too many things going on in society today. Too many things that are happening too fast. If we can’t keep up, we are ridiculed or deemed incompetent.
We are fashioned in a manner whereby emotions are supposed to be non-existent. We are fashioned by invisible beings to fear the system, to line up accordingly, to obey without question. Logic is pushed aside in broad daylight, even under the scrutiny of the public. Very few dare to question. And those who do so are treated in the same manner. We are fashioned to be robots.
Below is a speech given by a Jewish barber, a character played by Charlie Chaplin in the movie The Great Dictator. His message is urgently needed today; people need to listen to it, to comprehend it and not take life for granted.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another.
“In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
“Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
“The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
“To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.”
Humans are cynical. We are unkind. And we make excuses to justify all our crimes, consciously or sub-consciously. Bluffing is allowed as long as it is not outright lying. White lies are okay, people say.
This is all nonsense. If you bend the truth, it wouldn’t be called truth anymore. Why do we gossip? Why do we wage wars? Why all the hatred? Why attack another person for money, or fame? Is it necessary to kill one another to survive? Is this a loftier side of human nature – to cause harm to others?
It’s tiring reading about all these negative things in the papers. It’s tiring listening to trivial arguments on the news. It’s heart-breaking watching your own nation boast about racial unity and religious freedom to the world when, in fact, things are quite the opposite back at home.
We are going around in circles, following illogical ideologies on how a society should be managed, how our education system should be. We aren’t progressing; we are stagnant. We’ve been debating about unity, race and religion since independence. The same three topics for 51 years and still no improvement. Isn’t this alarming?
I am a young adult, a kid at heart. And like any other young adult, I blame adults for screwing up the world, the environment, our future. Adults are greedy, driven by the will to succeed at all costs. At what price? Politicians meddle with our education system for their own interests: will it be Science & Maths in English or Bahasa Malaysia? Do they not think of the students who struggle and fail to cope in university, where the scientific terms are all in English? Do they even care?
Are the young unable to cope with modernity and the political agenda? Are we blind and unable to lead?
No, we understand. We aren’t prejudiced. But we are fashioned to fit in with today’s society – one that scares me.
Then a good Samaritan comes along, and dies. Someone famous who did good for the world. Someone who had been trying incredibly hard to improve the way of life. Someone who was trying to show society just how messed up it is and how to clean up that mess.
The death of such people is like a slap in the face. It makes you brave. It stops everything, even for just a second. It wakes you up to the fact that life is fragile.
So, put down that cane and hug a child.
Over a week ago, she died. And it felt like life is so dispensable. At any moment, people can just leave us.
Is it only through death that we realise the goodness in life? Why does it take death to make us want to better ourselves, to help the helpless?
I’m not going to name people. Many good people die every day before we even realise their qualities.
There are too many things going on in society today. Too many things that are happening too fast. If we can’t keep up, we are ridiculed or deemed incompetent.
We are fashioned in a manner whereby emotions are supposed to be non-existent. We are fashioned by invisible beings to fear the system, to line up accordingly, to obey without question. Logic is pushed aside in broad daylight, even under the scrutiny of the public. Very few dare to question. And those who do so are treated in the same manner. We are fashioned to be robots.
Below is a speech given by a Jewish barber, a character played by Charlie Chaplin in the movie The Great Dictator. His message is urgently needed today; people need to listen to it, to comprehend it and not take life for granted.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another.
“In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
“Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
“The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people.
“To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.”
Humans are cynical. We are unkind. And we make excuses to justify all our crimes, consciously or sub-consciously. Bluffing is allowed as long as it is not outright lying. White lies are okay, people say.
This is all nonsense. If you bend the truth, it wouldn’t be called truth anymore. Why do we gossip? Why do we wage wars? Why all the hatred? Why attack another person for money, or fame? Is it necessary to kill one another to survive? Is this a loftier side of human nature – to cause harm to others?
It’s tiring reading about all these negative things in the papers. It’s tiring listening to trivial arguments on the news. It’s heart-breaking watching your own nation boast about racial unity and religious freedom to the world when, in fact, things are quite the opposite back at home.
We are going around in circles, following illogical ideologies on how a society should be managed, how our education system should be. We aren’t progressing; we are stagnant. We’ve been debating about unity, race and religion since independence. The same three topics for 51 years and still no improvement. Isn’t this alarming?
I am a young adult, a kid at heart. And like any other young adult, I blame adults for screwing up the world, the environment, our future. Adults are greedy, driven by the will to succeed at all costs. At what price? Politicians meddle with our education system for their own interests: will it be Science & Maths in English or Bahasa Malaysia? Do they not think of the students who struggle and fail to cope in university, where the scientific terms are all in English? Do they even care?
Are the young unable to cope with modernity and the political agenda? Are we blind and unable to lead?
No, we understand. We aren’t prejudiced. But we are fashioned to fit in with today’s society – one that scares me.
Then a good Samaritan comes along, and dies. Someone famous who did good for the world. Someone who had been trying incredibly hard to improve the way of life. Someone who was trying to show society just how messed up it is and how to clean up that mess.
The death of such people is like a slap in the face. It makes you brave. It stops everything, even for just a second. It wakes you up to the fact that life is fragile.
So, put down that cane and hug a child.
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