Blowing Water | Too busy to be kind? We Hongkongers have no excuse
Tiny gestures in a city consumed by material gain can go a long way
When was the last time you went out of your way to do something nice for someone, even a stranger?
Some of us carry out charitable acts every now and then, whether it’s volunteer work or donating money or items to welfare groups. We may even consider tiny gestures such as helping an old lady cross the road or giving directions to lost tourists as an expression of kindness.
Charitable acts are not only about the “haves” helping the “have-nots” – anybody can extend a helping hand to others who need help. And it’s not just about material help. It can be about sparing your time and energy, showing that you care or just simply being considerate.
A single act of kindness, big or small, can go a very long way: a welcoming smile, a morning greeting, giving up your seat on the subway (which is as rare as hitting the Mark 6 jackpot in Hong Kong these days), or donating your fortune to charity. It reveals and consequently reaffirms our humanity, which is something we tend to neglect.
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Chinese believe in “jik fuk”, which means to accumulate blessings and happiness. The moral thinking is that we must accumulate good karma, as we believe doing good deeds will yield positive results, while on the other hand, doing bad things will cause negative consequences.