WALKING PROUD

Article by

KAYSOON KHOO

Life is a battlefield and many a time we have to fight for our very survival. Poverty, disease and crime are enemies we have to constantly battle against. When these three get the upper hand or run out of control, we face problems we cannot cope with. They seldom lose their grip or die a natural death if they are left alone.

There is yet one more formidabe adversary we have to contend against. Unfortunately, we seldom think about this foe or even recognise it as a foe.

It is the self -- or rather, the down-dragging tendency of the self. Let's think of it as our dark half. You may think the term overly dramatic but it is not. It is this aspect of the human personality that causes the greatest harm to our own selves as well as to others.

If we just take time to reflect, we'll know what are the components which make up our dark half. Greed, envy and unconscionableness are its three most formidable aspects. When they hold sway, the humane part of us recedes into the background of our consciousness. Then we find ourselves capable of justifying anything we do.

These are poisonous plants which do not spring into full growth overnight. They creep up on us and gain control over us by gradual stages. We don't even have to nourish them. All we have to do is ignore them and they will continue to grow of their own accord. They thrive best when we lie to ourselves, when we refuse to do honest soul-searching and acknowledge our own defects.

It will never do to refuse to face our dark half and contend against it. It is what every religious creed and every worthwhile philosophy tells us to guard against. Ultimately, it is the very thing that robs us of our humanity and takes away our justification for being alive.

When the day ends for each of us, we want to go into the sunset with our heads held high, not with our backs bowed by guilt and self-reproach. When we walk away, we want to walk proud.