Show Concern For The Stranger Next To You

Written by: GanaShan

Image courtesy of chrissylong

Here is a question for you: If you see someone about to hurt himself by falling on his next step, would you do something to warn or stop him?

Well I would like to share this post with you as I’m quite curious about how people will react when they see an immediate problem. I came across an incident while I was on my way back from work today. This incident led me to believe that humans have a trait in common.

I believe we all share the concern to warn the person next to us about any form of impending danger that can possibly befall. As a human being, I honestly feel that we share a certain degree of compassion or concern towards one another. At least we should have a minimal degree of concern for one another even though we are completely strangers. I am talking about a perfectly natural human trait. There is nothing to be shy or to feel ashamed about. Even certain forms of animal life also share the same trait of concern towards one another.

So why should we refrain ourselves, instead of putting this trait in a constant practice? Now let me bring you to the encounters I faced in my life regarding this trait. Let me show you two examples. The first incident happened when I was on my way back from work one day.

Encounter #1

Two construction workers were hacking the pavement below a building under construction. One of them was a very seasoned staff wearing a helmet, while the other being a newcomer wasn’t wearing a helmet. A brief amount of time later, a toolbox and some metal parts fell from the 10th storey. The objects landed almost a feet away from the new staff.

A big commotion ensues…

New Guy: Oh my goodness! That was close! It fell so close to me! Oh buddy why didn’t you warn me that I need to wear a helmet here?

Seasoned Guy: It’s your own fault for not knowing the rules.

New Guy: But I’m new and I am still learning. You could have warned me right? Buddy?

Seasoned Guy: This is not my problem and I’m not your buddy, we are just work acquaintances.

Supervisor: What’s going on here?

~ Safety Guy explains the situation to the Supervisor ~

Supervisor: Why didn’t you warn him when he joined you to work here?

Seasoned Guy: Not my duty to do that. It is out of my job description.

Supervisor: You are part of a team. You share the responsibility of caring for the members in our team!

How would you feel if you are that new guy who just started his job? Here is another incident that I have came across and I would like to share it with you.

Encounter #2

A mother and her child are waiting at a cross road junction. They were waiting on the lights to cross the road. A young man joined them. The mother goes over to the news stand. At that moment she did not realize that her child’s hand had slipped away from her’s as she was attending to her baggage. Her playful child tried to run across the road. The young man who was standing there saw this and did nothing to stop or warn the child. Almost instantly a van jammed its brakes and stop short of hitting the young child.

Here is how the conversation took place during the incident

Mother: Why didn’t you stop her?

Young man: It is not my fault, you should have taught your child better.

Mother: That is no excuse! Would you have done that if she was your own sister?

Mother: You were standing so close to my child when she ran to the road, yet you did nothing at all!

Young man: Crazy woman! (walks away)

Sadly the young man showed no concern for the mother and child. Instead of showing at least some concern to them, the young man mad a sarcastic remark.

It is sad to see how the society today had grew cold and unloving. You and I can play apart by making someone his or her day. A little care and concern is all we need to touch peoples lives. Let us all start by show care and concern towards one another. Let this world be a better place to live in as you and I can choose to make a difference.

How you can show concern to the person next to you?

• Be mindful of your language usage or possible language barrier during communication
• Try to be as humble as possible in your approach. Refrain from sarcasm
• Present advice in a politely manner
• Clearly state the consequence of the scenario you are in to warrant your need for advice
• If possible, you might want to introduce yourself first to develop a friendly atmosphere
• At the end of the conversation it will be great if you can make apologies to eliminate any misconceptions the person may have of you

These events are just troubling when observed personally don’t you think? You may wonder why did some of us or even myself stoop to such a selfish level? Am I the only person who has such views? Just sharing my 2 cents worth of experience. Have you ever had a similar encounter before?

You may share your views with us too. Thanks!

For more tips on how to show care and concern to the people around you, subscribe to Winning Everyone today!

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