“MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE”

For quite a while now I’ve wanted to try my hand at writing something that’s a bit philosophical. I mean, I would like to talk about matters and events, both ordinary and exceptional, and look at them from a point of view inspired by some philosophy or philosopher. I thought long and hard about an interesting topic but no light bulb lit up. So I decided to go grab some beer (to create the conditions for inspiration). And what do you know... even before a gulp of that wonder drink, something that happened three years ago rushes back to me.

One afternoon, before returning to my apartment after class, I stopped by a grocery store to pick up some stuff. After having gotten the things I needed, I lugged my basket to the counter and cued to pay. A tall, bearded, scruffy man with dreadlocks was chatting cheerfully with the cashier as he was putting cans of beer into his most likely hemp-made bag. This obviously delayed the line a bit and irritated the girl standing between me and him. Evidently cross, the girl was glared at Mr Dreadlocks and the cashier. She even said something under her breath as the guy headed for the exit. The cashier noticed all this and he asked the girl: “Is there a problem?” The girl neither looked at him nor said a word. The cashier then continued in a calm tone: “Not because that guy looks like that he’s no longer a person. He deserves respect too.” At that moment, the girl was stuffing her bag with her purchases. She turned to go, but she shot back in an unapologetic tone: “I just want to get home.”

I’m relating this story now because what the cashier said still strikes me as bearing a fundamental truth: a human person, however he or she looks, is worthy of respect. This is something advocated by philosophers and the basic idea is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitutions of democratic countries. It is also a truth that has been passed onto us by predecessors through institutions like schools. But why is it that we forget this? At the moment, I can think of two reasons.

First, in our day-to-day lives, we normally encounter people “indirectly,” that is, through social roles and functions. Philosophers have made a distinction between relations determined by our work, social status, etc. and the more intimate way we connect with our friends, families and lovers. The former relations obtain in the social realm, while the latter belong to the interpersonal domain. Many of our daily interactions fall under the social for we meet others through categories: we come across the bus driver, the police officer, the cashier, and so on. We behave towards them in the way prescribed by our and their social roles. Now we can become so caught up in our functions that we forget that those we come across are human persons too. They have feelings, fears, thoughts, and aspirations and are not numb mindless automatons.

Second, preconceptions and prejudices can influence the way we treat other people. These are attitudes, ideas, and beliefs that we believe are applicable to an individual because she belongs (or is thought to belong) to a certain group. For example, some people associate being Asian (read: having ‘chinky eyes’) with being tech-savvy (so people tend to assume that I’m into computers and IT only because I’m Chinese-looking). Preconceptions can be true but they are not always so. The problem with them is that we always have them (from our culture, parents, friends) and they can color the way we perceive other people and thus determine the manner we interact with them.

This is not to say that these ways through which we encounter people are intrinsically morally reproachable. Keep in mind that it is necessary to fulfil our roles and functions to ensure the smooth flow of daily life. And we will always have preconceptions about people. What can be criticized, however, are (a) confining oneself to the dictates of functions and roles such that one forgets one’s and the other’s humanity, (b) and/or reducing others to whatever image one’s preconceptions depict. It could be that the girl in our story above was both too preoccupied with her own concerns so much so that she saw nothing beyond the functions and labels borne by those in the store. She was a customer who simply wanted to get her shopping done ASAP and she expected people to stick strictly to their roles. It could also be that because of some prejudice (but I’m merely speculating here) the appearance of the guy added to her irritation.

Social roles, functions, and expectations are here to stay. Prejudices and preconceptions about people will always color perception. But the challenge is to learn to be open to encounters with people, to at times transcend roles and functions (so as to reach more civil and humane relations if not more personal ones), and to be critical of our prior notions about others. |