Unseen

A few years ago Indonesia faced some polarizing elections - much like the Trump-Biden election at that time. We saw this at both the provincial and presidential levels. 

Families divided, friends at odds, colleagues skipping pantry talks and Whatsapp groups more heated than your favourite sauna studio. 

Such was the vibe of the country, divided in principle, and more importantly, in faith, they highlighted. 

It was during this time that I noticed one local public figure, let’s call him Lucas, if you will, who remained silent as a mouse. Lucas was a popular youtuber, author, movie producer, artist. As celebrities chose sides and used their voices and platforms, Lucas remained indifferent.

I used to like Lucas’s writings, even his movie, to a certain extent. What didn’t sit well with me this time was his choice to not use his public status and powers of influence for good. It would’ve been more respectable to take any side than doing nothing with the privilege of his public status, I thought.

With great powers, comes great responsibility, Voltaire, the great French author once said. In that sense, it seemed like Lucas was morally irresponsible, and his fame.. wasted. 

Beyond The Unseen

Two years later, during an Youtube interview, an aspiring standup comic mentioned how Lucas had set up a hub for standup comics to develop their career and learn from each other.

Standup comedy is still at its infancy in Indonesia with little supporting infrastructure, so a hub and network like what Lucas provided was very much needed so that the standup industry could advance, and standup comics could earn a decent livelihood. 

I began to see Lucas differently. I realized that there are many perspectives to situations, people and life.

Sometimes it is simply impossible to see other perspectives because you have not experienced it, crossed to the other side of the hill, and with our limited human vision and abilities we fail to imagine, see, understand or empathize.

And that is exactly the reason why we need to give others the benefit of the doubt.

So it was a good reminder for me.

To not be quick to judge, and postpone judgements to a time when more blanks can be filled without haste. To be content with the discomfort of an open ended statement.

To be open to the notion that no matter how incredulous it may seem, that we could just possibly, be wrong.