Contradictheory: Speak good, or speak up?

Ramadan is meant to be a month of reflection, restraint, and compassion, a reminder that we should think carefully about how and why we speak, says the columnist. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

While people usually go to Ramadan bazaars to satiate their appetites, visitors to the Kampong Glam bazaar in Singapore this year found something else that seemed aimed at feeding their souls. A banner had been put up, heavy with words and ending in the eye-catching line “Be human first, influence later”.

The first thought that might cross your mind is that surely it is possible to do both at the same time. But if you read the rest of the banner, the message becomes clearer. It is a gentle plea for people to not be so quick to post negative criticism online about the food they buy from the bazaar.