Throwing The Towel

I watched Blood Diamond yesterday. After all this time I finally managed to watch the movie until the end. Before this there were always something that comes up and I never get to finish watching it. Good movie, although the Rambo wannabe scene spoiled it a little bit, it was still good. The Titanic guy deserved his Oscar nomination. I’m glad that he got the recognition, he is a good actor and I’ve liked him since The Beach.

But I’m not going to write about him or how I rate the movie here. Instead, I’m going to give my two cents worth on one aspect of the movie, about how the movie ended leaving us pondering whether Daniel Archer was a noble or an evil human being.

My loyal readers (stop rolling your eyes, just play along!) will remember that I wrote about how I perceive good and bad deeds very early in my blog. It was in fact my second posting, titled Good or Bad. So this is kind of a sequel to it.

In Blood Diamond, Daniel Archer (DA) sacrificed his life to safe the African guy with his kid (sorry can’t remember names). DA gave his gun to the African guy and told the guy to get on their get-away plane without him. Then DA called his ‘almost’ girlfriend and basically laid out a plan for her to further help the African guy. DA did all that while he was bleeding to death and while the bad guys were getting closer to him, totally ignoring his own safety, for a guy who he at first only intended to take advantage of.

If you leave it at that and just take the face value, DA was definitely the good guy. Of course, giving up your life for others is a very righteous thing to do but it is not that simple. DA hardly had a choice. He knew he won't survive, he knew he will die from the gun wound that he had. Being in that situation made it easy for him. Why should he die as the bad selfish mercenary/diamond smuggler? That was his chance to make a good name for himself.

Just moments before that he was still contemplating whether to ditch the African guy or to honour the deal they made. Facing certain death made it easier for him to decide.

What I'm trying to say here is to do something good when it is obviously the better option is easy.

Let’s look at my situation, where my current job will make those who have flexible working hours envious. So if anyone needed my help, even for the most trivial of matters, I will take time off work to help them. Not because I’m this wonderful noble guy who put others ahead of myself. It is just that I can, because I have the time to help, that’s it. If taking time off work meant facing my boss wrath, guess which option will I take?

I’m writing this just to stress my belief that sadly this is how life is. Most don’t realise that there is no more genuine good deed. Most of the time we do it because it is convenient for us. We will not go out of the way to help others. It is even worse when we start to use the word sacrifice. That word is often tainted now. It has lost its meaning.

'I have sacrificed everything for you.' Yeah right!

Let’s use my experience as an example. When I was studying, my friends kind of looked high on me because I was a bit generous with money. I don’t mean that I treated my friends to lunch or dinner everyday, it was just that whenever they were short of money they knew they could come to me and I rarely disappoint them, and I will make no fuss about them owing me money.

For them, it was extremely nice of me, but I don’t see it that way at all. At that time money was something that I have. I didn’t come from a rich family, but my family always made sure that I was never short of it. So really, lending money to my friends was not a problem, it was convenient for me. If I needed money I can always ask for more. But some of my friends can’t, so for them it is a big thing (that I lend them money).

Some of you may point out that just because that’s how I am doesn’t mean the rest of the world are the same. Well I have been let down too many times. When things are easy and convenient I’ve been made happy. But when things get tough I’m often left disappointed. Everyone is the same. They either don’t realise it or just won’t admit to it.

Earlier I mentioned about taking things at their face value. Maybe I should just do that to safe myself from the complication of looking at things too deeply. Well I’ve tried that, and very harshly got slaps on my face, time and again for doing it. I don’t want to be naïve anymore. I don’t mean to be skeptic but this is how I see the world now.

Only when it is the better option. Only when it is convenient.

Good luck to me.