志异 Draft by Drama box December 2014 (english) | Page 50

The national
boundaries
of countries
have long been
overcome by the
massive sharing
of information,
forming of
connections
and solidarity
between people.

said to have been exploited if the value of an individual is not
being determined based on self-evaluation or creation, but
through the judgment of an external power.
Are we able to create the new identity of ‘free citizens’, build a
community that overcomes nationalism, and render support for
one another based on our common pursuit of universal values?
At the same time removing the segregation between ‘internal’
and ‘external’ to connect through universal qualities like equality,
respect and synergy? Being ‘free citizens’ also poses a reflective
question about being ‘citizens of a nation’. How do we, from a
greater perspective, overcome the issues of nationalities to lend
a helping hand to the others out of sheer compassion? How
certain are we that there will not be a day when we are the ones
in need of help?
While discussing with students from my Chinese Thoughts class
about co-humanity being an innate responsibility and a sense
of humaneness that radiates from self to others, it was evident
that pressure from the surroundings will always be present.
Humanity is an intrinsic value that is still relevant in the world
today. We should ponder upon our responsibilities in the modern
society towards humanity and those around us. It is only through
conscious independent thinking and judgment can we find a
personal spot for freedom amidst complicated relationships and
conflicts. And that is possibly the pathos of a ‘free citizen’.

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