Illness is not a crime. Being kind is a social responsibility too, not just social distancing
What is the best respond when you hear “ahem... ahem...”?
“You shouldn’t be out in the public?”
“Are you aware that the government has advised everyone who are sick to stay home?”
Someone I know was told off by a stranger to stay at home when he coughed to clear his throat in public. She is not wrong, but is there a better way to respond?
How about...
“Are you feeling ok”?
This act of kindness can go a long way. We get to show our support and get to deliver the message as well. Yes, we should be socially responsible and anyone with fever or flu should self quarantine as per government’s advice. Perhaps before we jump into the conclusion that anyone who is sick in public is being socially irresponsible and become upset with them, let’s be open to other possibilities. Consider that he or she could be on the way to see a doctor, to complete the last job for money needed to feed a family of five, or just simply unaware of the call to stay home if unwell. And there are those with non infectious chronic coughs or asthma. Illness is not a crime.
Understand that there is more stress and anxiety, and a sense of urgency given the covid-19 outbreak. And the two camps, one believes that it is just a bad seasonal flu, while the other is taking extreme measures. And both sides are fighting to defend their positions… more aggressively than usual. But is it more important to be right about being right and make others wrong, or more effective to show support and inform?
Definitely do social distancing if we are unwell and be socially responsible to prevent spread of any flu, but remember the art of kindness is also a social responsibility too. Right now, more so than ever humanity needs to come together to support one another.
So start asking “are you feeling ok?” And be sincere. We can definitely still say “bless you” when someone sneezes.
Written by Karen Tok
A New Way To Win | Entrepreneur | Speaker | Start-Up Mentor | Social Change Maker |Transformation Enthusiast | Boundary Breaker |
“The purpose of being alive is to experience life itself —
to LEARN | to CREATE | to INSPIRE (love)” Karen Tok Mullins
Karen is an Inspirational Speaker, Thought Leader on A New Way to Win, and Founder of award-winning biotechnology recruitment firm, ScienTec Consulting Pte Ltd. A highly dynamic individual and forward-thinking business leader, Karen was nominated for the Great Woman of Our Times Award 2018 by Woman’s Weekly Magazine and a recipient of the merit award for Shell LiveWire Young Business Start-up Award 2005. Her entrepreneurial success story was featured in many media outlets including The Straits Times, Her World, Forward – Shell LiveWire’s book on entrepreneurship, 938Live! Money FM 89.3, to name a few.
Karen is an avid lifelong learner and a firm-believer in personal transformation. She believes that with the right tools, anyone can achieve their life goals, regardless of their age. Based on her business and personal experiences, Karen developed a winning formula on A New Way to Win – one that is designed to help people overcome their fear of failure and reinvent a life they truly desire. She is passionate about sharing this formula to positively impact as many people as possible through speaking engagements, coaching and mentoring.
Website: www.karentok.com
Instagram : karentok1234
