Tyranny and Benevolence Of The Majority

When I graduated from primary school, it was customary for graduating students to request their teachers and fellow students to write autographs. I have since lost my autograph book. But some words left in there were simply too powerful to be forgotten. Among them were one left by my Year 4 teacher, Mr Ng Moh Kuan. He said this:

待人要厚，待己要薄。Translated, it means 'Treat others better than you would treat yourself.'

In those times, it was indeed possible to find occasions when you would treat others better than you would treat yourself. I remember my grandparents and parents would reserve the best foods and drinks for guests. It was not uncommon to find chickens served only when guests came. Even as kids we were not allowed to consume those delicious soft drinks that suddenly appeared at home as they were brought in for guests only. With precious little resources, still I know my grandfather would have donated money or materials to others that we would not have given ourselves.

Then as society became better off, proportionately the community spirit of 'treating others better' waned. However, it would still be commendable if we could at least treat others as well as we would treat ourselves. And so we have the saying of treat others as you would want them treat yourself. The Chinese equivalent is 己所不欲，勿施于人, or do unto others what you want them do unto you.

In many communities around the world, the ability to treat others, particularly those vulnerable sections of the community, fairly has become the benchmark for a great community. Throughout history, many great people have said something to the equivalent of this,

"The greatness of a nation is measured by how it treats its weakest members."

And who are the weakest members of a community? There are many possible ways of identifying them. A good way is to determine if they have any representative voice in the larger community. The weakest members are usually those without a voice, as they are often the minority class and therefore lacking in representation.

When we are in a position of power, when we are the majority, it is easy for us to look after ourselves. How we treat those minority amongst us is what measures us apart.

There can be tyranny, or benevolence, of the majority.

The difference between a pariah and a great nation. So said great people of the past.