A friend told me about his recent experience climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the iconic symbol of Sydney. Climbers have to be led in groups with experienced guides.
My friend told me that after the climbers got back to the ground, the guide handed them wet towels that all the climbers were grateful for to wipe off their sweat. But, amazingly, the Japanese who had joined their group began to wipe the equipment they were given to help in the climb – they were cleaning the equipment in consideration of the next group of climbers who would use the equipment.
This is the Japanese sense of honour – a consideration for others, even outside their geographical borders!
This sense of honour is also demonstrated by the Japanese in Tokyo by their practice of standing on the left of the escalator at train stations, so that others who are in a hurry can freely walk up the escalator.
While this practice is slowly catching on in Singapore, this sense of honouring others is far from 100 percent. Every so often, some man or lady would stand together on the same step in conversation with their friends, totally oblivious of the inconvenient “traffic jam” they are causing others behind them!
One wonders how such a culture of honour is inculcated. Surely the Japanese could not have been born with an inclination to naturally think of the wellbeing of others, and surely our society in Singapore can gradually evolve into a society with a culture of honour!
For a start, perhaps we could all help to build such a culture of honour in Singapore by gently by gently reminding each other to stand to the left of the escalator in consideration for others!
Photo Acknowledgement: http://markystar.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/20100620escalator.jpg
