Supple strength of water needed in HK

Ever since the confirmation of the first two cases in Hong Kong of novel coronavirus pneumonia, or COVID-19, people have been asking me: "Why aren't you wearing a mask?" To which I have several ready-made replies: "I can't find any in the shops"; "I don't have any symptoms of the disease" and so on.

Before the outbreak, there was another question I was constantly asked: "Are you yellow or blue?" - a reference to those who support the Hong Kong protesters (yellow) and those who back the government (blue).

My answer was always the same: "That's the wrong question. "Because yellow and blue are just two of the colors of the rainbow. Anyone who knows how to "sing a rainbow" will tell you there are seven colors altogether.

On any given issue, there are more than two possible positions. Any intervention that implies the contrary creates a false dichotomy, which is potentially dangerous because it excludes the middle ground: the fertile area of dialogue in which meaningful political activity takes place.

This－the exclusion of the middle ground－is the prevailing situation in Hong Kong, where society has largely polarized into two hostile camps, making it difficult for moderates on either side of the political divide to make themselves heard above the noise of increasingly radical protesters.

Take, for instance, the opposition to the government's plans to establish quarantine centers and screening clinics around the city. Many residents objected to having them located in their backyard.

Such an outbreak of "nimbyism "is, sadly, not surprising in such a polarized society. The reason for this is that a self-interest bias is unlikely to be checked in an environment in which a false dichotomy ("I'm right, so you're wrong") has become the norm. In fact, due to yet another cognitive distortion, that of "group-think", it's far more likely to be validated and reinforced.

This process of validation and reinforcement of in-group beliefs is a potentially dangerous one, since it accentuates the split between pro-government and opposition camps, and facilitates the "you're either with us or against us" approach that ultimately undermines democracy.

This phenomenon helps to explain why the protesters in Hong Kong have become so intransigent, clinging at all costs to the mantra of "five demands, not one less", even though not everyone in the opposition camp necessarily agrees with all five of the demands.

It also helps to explain why some of the protesters' actions have become so extreme, because group-think tends to polarize the thoughts and actions of individuals within the same group.

To counter the polarization, it's important that we all reject the false dichotomy of "yellow or blue" and embrace all colors of the rainbow.

One of the key lessons to be learned from the outbreak is we're all in this together.

The protesters today seem to be fond of quoting martial-arts legend Bruce Lee, who once extolled the virtues of water. If they're serious in their desire to "be water", they need to look more closely at what Lee said: "Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. Put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or creep or drip or crash. Be water, my friend."

The essential thing here is the supple strength of water, not the nature of the receptacle. So let's all stop focusing on receptacles－whether someone or something is "yellow" or "blue". Let's start emulating the flexibility of water. Because after so many months of senseless disruption and division, it's high time we found a new tune to dance to.

Does anyone still know how to sing a rainbow?

The author is an educator and director of Oxford Blue, a company providing English language services in Hong Kong. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.