This emphasis on altruism among 16 to 24 year olds is encouraging as the desirability for community consciousness becomes more and more apparent, but the poll needs to be views with caution: all the questions were to do with moral issues, and a broader set of questions comparing materialistic as well as ethical priorities would, for me, have been far more interesting. Additionally, there was a question on religion but not on spirituality, and again the answers may have been very different and quite telling if spirituality had been included; the timing of the survey, too, may have affected the outcome, coming as it did in the aftermath of the Olympic euphoria and sense of national unity.
Looking after their family was easily the top choice with 59% of of respondents making it number one for them: community awareness begins with the family community, and it is likely that with time and experience and world events they will broaden their awareness to include and wish to help others beyond their relations.
Caring for others, whoever and wherever they are, is an expression of kindness, and kindness is at the heart of spirituality: without it, spirituality cannot exist. Even if a question to do with spiritual attitude was not asked, in the survey, the answer, clearly, was given.]]>
