Monday, March 16, 2015

Decency Has No Replacement: Decency Must Not Be Interpreted By The Indecent

What does decency mean?

For me: to become a better me each day. To make effort to be more capable. More compassionate. More appreciative of the wonders of being a growing human being.

At the core is decency: being able to respond to all things good and fine and true. Being able to respect others' right to live meaningfully.

It also means to speak out and act with decency when brutality and violence and bullying are used to prevent other human beings from living meaningfully.

What does that mean?

Nelson Mandela speaks that meaning also for me:


"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." 
Nelson Mandela (Long Walk to Freedom)

"I am not an optimist, but a great believer of hope." 
Nelson Mandela


"There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death."
 Nelson Mandela (Long Walk to Freedom: Autobiography of Nelson Mandela)

"Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished"
Nelson Mandela



1 comment:

  1. Good stuff, Mr Quah. You probably don't remember me, I was in your art class in SXI ages ago.

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