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The
expression fits a miser. Such a person
counts every last satang and begrudges
anyone who expects him to pick up a bill
at the restaurant. This person’s
hero is Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s
A Christmas Carol—though he wouldn’t
like the end of that novel, when Scrooge
discovers the virtue of náam
jai. A person with a jai
khem heart never leaves a tip
at a restaurant, he never helps a neighbor
who has a problem, and he never gives
to charity. If he runs a restaurant, he
spends his idle time figuring out ways
to pad a customer’s bill. He lacks
náam
jai. Thais avoid such people
(as do most other nationalities); their
personality never makes others feel comfortable,
or brings a sense of fun or laughter.
They inevitably take advantage of others
and put themselves first.
Narrow
Heart
jai
khÊEp (adj.) ã¨á¤º
jai
khOO kháp khÊEp
(adj.) 㨤ͤѺ᤺
This
is expression to convey to others that
someone’s action is or has been
selfish or narrow-minded. The “narrow
heart” or jai
khÊEp person lacks generosity
and is unwilling to do even a small gesture
to help others even though the cost of
doing so is very small. It is the absence
of empathy for the plight of others, and
for the consequences of his or her actions
on other people’s lives. Such a
person thinks solely of his or her own
pleasure or desire. If you expect the
person with jai
khÊEp to take you into
account, or to consider your feelings,
then you will be in for disappointment.
For example, a friend is in need. Perhaps
she or he is out of money to buy a bus
ticket to visit an ailing mother upcountry
and, rather than offer the money, this
person refuses. Such a person lacks náam
jai, “water heart,”
and is someone with a mean spirit. The
person can also be described as jai
khOO kháp khÊEp. |
Sample jai
phrases from hearttalk
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