Written by: Natalie Yeo (Photo by: Marvin Ng)

Empathy and apathy differ merely by two letters. We can choose which we want to live out louder.

I’ll be the first to admit: I am sick with a chronic disease. It leaves me emotionless, disinterested and unconcerned most of the time and undoubtedly, this poison has consumed me more than I should have allowed.

Apathy — the voice of conscience in the inner recesses that often says, “I don’t care. That’s none of my business.”

At 23 years of age, I battle apathy with regard to both social issues at large and minor issues that I witness on a daily basis. But there is a deep desire to be someone greater than being characterised by this disease.

I questioned myself, “Where does the problem truly lie? Is it me or did society do this to me?” I wanted to shift the blame to someone, something, anything. But I discovered that the main problem was me. The more the world fed me information, as a way of reaching out to me to divorce apathy and do something, the more I slipped into indifference. I needed treatment; I yearned for healing. It had always been easier to remain in my comfort zone than to stand for something — why leave this comfort for unwanted trouble and inconvenience?

A pertinent example would be my lack of interest in anything remotely political. This is ironic as my father has been actively involved in grassroots for more than a decade. I was often introduced to the people he worked with and for many years, my father tried to get me involved as well. I had resented going to community events from young and rejected helping him at weekly Meet The People Sessions quite easily when I got older.

As a Christian, I wanted to respect and honour my father’s passions but I struggled so much with this disinterest, to the point of me repelling anything to do with the political world. The Singapore government elections only heightened my indifference, and the fact that I had no voting power (at the time) only gave me more reason to sustain it. Looking back, apathy was pervasive in my life.

Singapore’s pace of life sees men and women, young and old, in relentless rush. We often have to be present at many places, with endless tasks and activities to complete, but when does it ever stop? Just like any other working young adult, I am a part of the daily hustle and bustle of commuting to work by public transport, work typical office hours and retreat home to recuperate, only to psyche myself for yet another day. Regardless of the phase of life you’re currently at, apathy could very well be consuming you too.

My perpetual dispassion triggered much shame within me as a Singaporean, but more so as a Christian. Watching apathy sprout to life in real time situations induced this question: Is apathy really all we have to offer?

Consider this: Lifts and guiding paths in local MRT stations were built to make transportation easier for the elderly, disabled and even mothers who take their children out in prams. However, my observations during peak hours often left me feeling disappointed. I have seen countless people shoving and pushing into lifts, leaving mothers with prams stranded outside the lift. I’ve also seen people smirking at the elderly on escalators, with obvious speech bubbles of displeasure going off in their minds. It seems that saying a simple “thank you” to the person who held the lift door open for you is now almost a thing of the past.

Imagine if things were different. Imagine if you started living differently by doing what others steer clear of.

This one time, while I was waiting at a traffic junction to cross the road, I met an elderly couple. The old lady walked with a limp, with her husband supporting her with one arm and a walking stick with another. When the light turned green, she lifted her walking stick and could walk only with the help of her man. I briskly approached her, took her by the other hand and assisted her in crossing the road. She was surprised but immediately grinned and told me (in Chinese) that she was doing well when I asked her how she was. Before I parted ways with them, she told me, “I’m so happy to see you today. Seeing you happy to help me made me happy.”

Yet, all I did was to help her cross the road.

I firmly believe that it doesn’t take much to bless someone and that no effort is ever too small to be deemed insignificant. The little things you do could well result in huge impact. Jesus stopped to take notice of the woman who suffered from a bleeding condition and healed her (Luke 8:43-48). Jesus also stopped to make time for the Samaritan woman he met at the well and ministered to her right there (John 4:6-26).

There could be many reasons for apathy as well as many situations that you are personally indifferent towards, but the aforementioned are vulnerably mine. May I encourage you to identify the areas of your life that apathy is gripping onto? If not, try to recall the last time you went the extra mile for someone, making both the person-in-need and you happy. You could also pose yourself these questions: “When was the last time I took action when I saw that someone needed help?” or “When was the last time I stopped in my rush and haste and actually did something courteous?”

Apathy and empathy will not meet until a conscious, intentional decision is made to overcome the stronger force. As I fight apathy with the unconditional love that Jesus gives me, I find myself treated and healed a little bit more each time. Perhaps it is time to drop apathy and pick up empathy for a change. It might just take you to places you’ve not been in a while.