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Guarding Singapore against the slow drift towards a mean society
In a hostile world that’s quick to judge and slow to listen, building social cohesion needs more than laws, tolerance and understanding.
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In a hostile world that’s quick to judge and slow to listen, building social cohesion needs more than laws, tolerance and understanding.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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The crowd was scattered and movements brisk at Tokyo’s bustling, well-lit metro station. We were a family of five – large by today’s standards – fixated on overhanging screens, puzzling over the Shinkansen schedules to Osaka. A middle-aged man approached us, unprompted. He began explaining, even as he wrestled earnestly with English for a good 10 minutes as he took our questions. It felt like he wouldn’t leave until we were sure.
On another night, along the cool, neon-lit streets of Ginza, a gentleman caught us fumbling a wefie attempt. Without hesitation, he offered to take the picture. But what followed was more than a simple gesture of kindness. As he handed back my phone, he struck up a conversation that led to something richer. What had begun as an offer of help turned into an unexpected personal conversation between strangers from different lands.
