THE TEMPTATION

Often and again, one is confronted with people and circumstances that affect behaviour and over all response. It is like this, a simple act of kindness is abused by the recipient to the point that one refuses to be kind.


Our world is diverse and as we grow into adulthood, we are faced with a variety of human behaviour. Without knowing it, one’s childhood innocence is lost. Lessons on human improprieties are often learnt first hand and hence in unpleasant ways. One is then tempted to shut the door of compassion and live to make oneself happy.

Should one hold back alms because the recipient is a “junkie” or refuse a hitch-hiker because the latter may be a serial killer? Another spectrum of this discourse is borne from the unspoken expectation that every act of human kindness should be reciprocated when the circumstances are reversed. Supposing the recipient does not feel obliged at the moment but comes for another favour thereafter?

It’s what I call the temptation not to be one self. Should we become indifferent to people in apparent need because of previous experiences, should the recipient of our goodwill be affected by their ability to pay back, don’t we lose the moral high ground when it is in fact within our power to give such a helping hand, are our actions not merely reactions to others’, are we really our virgin self when our lives is determined by others?