Friday, January 2, 2015


The Good Samaritan Hard to find in Asia Throughout SE Asia bit particularly in China, if you get hit by a bus or are otherwise injured in public, it might be a while before a bystander will come to your aid. In fact, the Chinese government had to pass the “Good Samaritan Law” to encourage bystanders to help a fellow citizen when she is injured. The idea that fellow citizens are someone with whom you compete for survival, rather than someone on whom you count for support, might not be too far below the surface. Social scientists have long found that people tend to be less altruistic, and exhibit more anti-social behavior, when basic resources are scarce or when they see survival as more competitive. Attempting to teach compassion in China might be difficult but in the North America and Europe not too hard. How can we start? Obviously with ourselves. Teaching by example is almost always more effective than books or lectures. First we should look You don’t have to wait for someone to get hit by a bus! There are plenty of opportunities in our everyday lives that provide a chance to practic compassion Here are a few examples: Tell someone- washroom attendant, garbage collector, teacher, policeman how much you appreciate the work they do Tell a friend that you appreciate her friendship Give a little extra to the homeless person asking for help Take the garbage out or wash some dishes even when it’s not your job. There are plenty of opportunities. You just need to look for them

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