MR KUMAR Pillay Thangavalu ('Affluent but still immature'; Tuesday) rightly points out that courtesy is better caught than taught. The Singapore Kindness Movement recognises this fact and looks to ways people can catch on to courtesy instead of just being told to be courteous.

We have adopted a model acronymed Mite (Model, Inspire, Transmit and Engage) to drive a holistic approach in growing kindness. Having good role models and engaging people are important aspects of transmitting kindness, which includes courtesy.

The courtesy campaign is now subsumed under the Singapore Kindness Movement and the iconic Singa is now the Kindness Lion.

We should not discount the benefits of teaching values. In many circumstances, people catch on to values as a result of it being taught, especially among the young in their formative years.

Mr Kumar laments that we have become affluent but remain immature. The reality is that affluence and maturity have little to do with each other. Maturity is a function of growth in rich inner experiences and reflections on values. Growth in material wealth alone does not guarantee growth in the inner being.

William Wan
General Secretary
Singapore Kindness Movement