I remember watching a commercial last semester, it was about a kid who wanted a cake for his birthday, but his mom was too poor to buy it. A man was standing nearby and heard the conversation, although he was poor as well, he decided to buy a cake for the little boy, anonymously. He didn't buy the it for praise or recognition; he bought it because he believed that it was the right thing to do, it was a selfless act of kindness.
'Unfortunately, those kinds of scenarios don't happen in real life. No one would actually give up something of their own for another person's well being. That commercial is heartwarming and encouraging, but it's fake. Again, this type of story only takes place in fiction, its too good to be true.' This is what I thought after watching the commercial, it might be a little depressing, and although I would've wished to believe otherwise, I accepted the harsh reality. I'm a cynic living in a cynical world. To my surprise, I was proven wrong. A few days ago, I was in a small suburban bookstore, I'd chosen a few books and left them on the counter in order to find some more. As I searched for a book, a man came into the store, I didn't pay much attention to him as I was busy looking for an interesting title. After some time, the man left. My search continued. I went back to the counter moments later. There, the cashier told me that the man had left fifty dollars for me to buy books, the only thing he said before leaving was "Young people should read more". I was completely blown away by this anonymous man's actions, it's not every day that something like this happens. It takes a special kind of person to do a selfless act of kindness; that man gained no recognition, no praise, no prize, only the satisfaction of knowing that he did something that meant a lot for another person. I'm still a cynic, the world is still the same place it was before this happened: politics are plagued with corruption, mining companies will ruin the environment for wealth, and corporations will set up their offices in tax heavens in order to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. I'm still a cynic, but I know that the world doesn't have to be this way, it shouldn't be this way. This man gave me something far better than books, he gave me hope. Hope that there are people out there, people who don't care about wealth or recognition, selfless people. Although there might not be many, one is enough to show me that it is possible. I guess now it's my turn to return the favor.
1 Comment
I was reading an article by David Wong a few days ago where he played with an idea called "the monkeysphere”. What this theory deals with is, that according to brain studies, the size of a monkey’s tribe is defined by the size of its brain. By using those calculations, scientists concluded that human brains had the capacity of recognising around 150 people as three dimensional, fully realised human beings with whom they could have stable social relationships. Those 150 individuals form part of your monkeysphere.
What this implies is that every person whose not part of your monkeysphere is just a background character in your life, a mere reflection of a person. Put simply and in gaming terms, they’re npc’s (non-playable characters), or at least that’s how our brain process them. This is the reason why we’ll throw trash to the ground without thinking twice about it, we don’t care enough about the janitor as a person even though we know he’s gonna have to pick it up later on. It’s the same reason why I’d be devastated if someone close to me dies, but I don’t feel anything when told that millions are dying from starvation in Africa. As its been said countless times, “A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.” It’s odd, the idea that we can’t function properly as a society because of an evolutionary trait designed specifically for prehistoric tribes to function properly. Oh the irony. After spending hours upon hours scattered all over the week meditating on this idea, I’ve come to conclude, that as a person who’s able to understand what the monkeysphere is, I can move past it. No, I won’t be able to take into account every single death nor I want to. The goal is to be more mindful about others, regardless of who they are or what their place is on the monkeysphere. One of my favourite films of 2015, Anomalisa, had a quote which perfectly encapsulated the message I’m attempting to transmit and why it’s important. "Just like you. Each person you speak to has had a day. Some days have been good, some bad, but they’ve all had one. Each person you speak to has had a childhood. Each have a body. Each body aches. What is it to be human? What is it to ache? What is is to be alive?" |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2016
Categories |