Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Hugh Mackay, Allen & Unwin, $32.99.
This noteworthy book shows how crises and catastrophes often turn out to be the ‘making of us’. Hugh Mackay encourages us to find the best in ourselves and in our society in both good and troubled times. It’s all about how we can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism.
The experienced social researcher talks about how his early-pandemic prophecies on community, loneliness and resilience have played out. What’s more, he encourages a kindness revolution, sharing his ideas to restore expectation and trust in a fragile world.
Australia has tackled a perfect storm of challenges in 2020-21, but instead of congratulating ourselves there’s an upsurge of disenchantment. Even before the bushfires and the pandemic, displeasure was evident. Following the devastation, Mackay reflects on situations that have tested everyone’s abilities to cope during the past year of upheaval. What really matters? He points to inspiring displays of kindheartedness and consideration, our personal sacrifices for the common good and our heightened appreciation of the value of local neighbourhoods and communities. In turn, Mackay asks: “Could we become renowned as a loving country, rather than simply a ‘lucky’ one?”
Kindness means “compassion, tolerance, respect, sensitivity towards other people. And the radical version is absolutely non-discriminatory; the revolution is when you are kind not just to your nice neighbour, but to the ones you don’t know or don’t like much. The pandemic has shown us we are actually quite good at this. We are a social species that can only survive by creating relatively harmonious communities, and the only rational response to that is to say, well, kindness had better be our default position”.
Engrossing, astute and stirring, The Kindness Revolution is a distillation of Hugh Mackay’s life’s work.
