Written By Devadas Krishnadas

I take the train to work most days. It never fails to be a window into the daily life of the average Singaporean. People paying close attention to their smart phones, tablets and newspapers. Everyone, no matter how closely pressed together, studiously ignoring the presence of all others. One could be forgiven for thinking that Singaporeans were self-absorbed and uninterested in a shared world. But one would be wrong.

A few days ago I stood in the middle of a crowded carriage watching the landscape pass by as pictures framed by the pitiless windows. Suddenly there was a commotion. A young woman had fainted and her fall had been caught by two young men who happened to be standing near her. They swiftly pressed the emergency stop button, lifted her into a seat and spoke to reassure her as she regained fleeting consciousness. The young lady was taken off the train at the next stop and accorded medical attention.

It occurred to me that this singular episode had much meaning as a window into the larger world of our national consciousness. More than ninety percent of the people on that carriage carried on their self-absorbed activities without acknowledging what had just happened. A few looked unhappy at the delay and some even grumbled into their phones. Now, if we took that majority behaviour as a reference one would be dismayed and if we saw too much meaning into the disgruntled few, we would even be disappointed in ourselves as a people. Where is our compassion? Where is our sense of mutual dependency? Where is our charity?

Instead, I choose to focus on the actions of the two young men – their swift response; their nonchalant gallantry and their unconcern for praise or reward in the service of an absolute stranger. [quip float="pqleft"]I choose to celebrate this episode, not for what it shows we are not, but for what it shows we all can be, and when tested, may be, despite ourselves.[/quip]

Singapore and Singaporeans are a work in progress. We are, and can never be perfect. Neither were the actions of the two helpful young men. [quip float="pqleft"]But we, as with them, can perfect our intentions – that we can be a caring people; a people conscious of sharing a space with mutual respect; a people made richer by our feelings not our things.[/quip]

I say "thank you" to the anonymous duo rather than be remorseful at the apathy of the many others who could have stepped forward. I ask you to be thankful that we live in a country where we, being so efficient, organised into compartments and well protected, are rarely called upon to exceed our circumstance. I ask you to look beyond that arrangement and ask yourself, not if you would help your fellow, however unknown, but if you would want to live in a world where you need not have doubt that there would be someone, however unknown, who would catch your fall. I would and I suspect so would you. Let us choose to fulfill this wish by first being that someone ourselves. We don't need a conversation, a celebration or permission to be our best selves. We only need to choose to be the world we wish for ourselves. Surely, this simplest of things cannot be the hardest of decisions. Give it a try, you might like it.

Devadas Krishnadas is the Editor-at-large of Mothership.sg. He is also the Managing Director of Future-Moves. Devadas takes the public transport to work and prefers to use the commuting time to observe and reflect.

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