A glimpse of the Filipino psyche
LINK: ‘Note Verbale‘, Manila Times (Sunday-Career Section) - 3 August 2008 Issue
It is safe to assume that Filipinos, as a people, are among the ‘easily pleased’, as compared to the other nationalities of the world. This notwithstanding, they also get hurt very easily, very onion-skinned in a manner of speaking. Little things make Filipinos in general happy but even the slightest incident could also trigger their disappointments.
Thus, a typical Filipino would always have something to complain about. More likely, however, he will keep the matter to himself than openly express, confront or even directly settle his gripes. A Filipino would rather open his heart to, and seek comfort from, people who are close and dear to him even if they do not have any stake in his concerns. Many times, complaints are settled, or even exacerbate, through the grape vine in the chain of gossips and rumors.
Nevertheless, Filipinos love to communicate and express themselves. The Philippines would not be the text capital of the world if it were otherwise. Filipinos are everywhere in the digital divide with their blogs. Internet social networks like ‘friendster’ in fact are dominated by Filipinos. Filipino passion for music as a form of human expression is simply amazing.
While Filipinos are generally expressive, it is wonder why they would rather endure for as long as they can perhaps up to boiling point, than break the status quo. Make no mistake about it but the average Filipino has the heart for change, and would always hope for it, but he will never stake his person on it, especially if it would put his immediate family in jeopardy. He would rather suffer and protest in silence in this case until the clamor for reform or change has put the bandwagon in locomotion, that is when the battle lines are drawn.
Filipinos would openly express their love for their country but judging from how they live their daily lives as citizens, it is a source of wonder whether in fact they do. What should have been good for the country more often than not has to take a back seat in favor of convenience and parochial personal satisfaction. Choosing between what is good for the country and what is good for his very own or even his family’s interests (a usual line to justify his actions), a typical Filipino would obviously take the latter.
A typical Filipino would have big dreams, high ambitions and would love to idolize and look up at a role model in pursuing his direction. What is disturbing these days is the impatience of many Filipinos to embrace the dignity of labor and hard work to ensure their economic success. Many are easily lured to professions, false opportunities, and even criminal endeavors that offer a quick fix. No wonder that when times are hard, there are more Filipinos lining up lotto betting stations, the illegal number game of jueting continues to flourish, there are incidence of corruption both in the public and private sector, the news never get tired of reporting people being duped of investment and money scams, and many young people abandon their dreams in favor of the career fad of the times. Nowadays, the only perceived measure of true success is money, and more money. Of course, this country is not alone in today’s highly materialistic environment.
Filipinos are generally reactive than proactive. They do not anticipate, or maybe refuse to aniticpate, difficulties and problems before they arise. And when things go wrong, finger pointing starts, there would always be somebody to blame, and seldom would someone actually take responsibility for the mess.
In good or bad times, what is striking about Filipinos is their ingrained nature of finding joy in simple things and putting humor even to the most catastrophic situation. A Filipino is usually affective and easily shed tears while at the same time laugh at the situation without being necessarily happy about it.
There is no mutual exclusivity in the psyche of the Filipino. Anything goes so to speak. Whether this is good or bad could be seen where this country is, right now.
The A glimpse of the Filipino psyche by www.soriano-ph.com, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Philippines License.
http://www.philippinesnewsvote.com:
A glimpse of the Filipino psyche…
In good or bad times, what is striking about Filipinos is their ingrained nature of finding joy in simple things and putting humor even to the most catastrophic situation. A Filipino is usually affective and easily shed tears while at the same time lau…
7 August 2008, 3:19 pmanon:
I cannot accept some of the claims that the author is making, it would depend on the individual. I would suggest in your future articles that you write in a more positive tone.
7 September 2008, 3:29 pmramirez laurell:
Annon, what the **** do you mean a more positive tone? It’s sugary as can be. The author could also have mentioned that most Philippinos are religous nutters ready to believe almost any stupidity. And hypocrites to boot aobut their precious religion as well. That they hardly ever really deeply REFLECT (read think) on things. That they can’t organize anything least of all their own country. Just to mention a few. I could easily name a hundred more things that can bug the shit out of anyone coming from the outside. None the less i love them, but don’t ask people to be all sugary about a nation (a nation is its people) that is one of the most messed up in the world.
20 September 2008, 4:39 amsweetkate:
Whatever it is…good and bad alike…made me the Filipino that I am…and I am DEFINITELY proud to be identified as one.
11 November 2008, 1:16 pmandrew:
The only paragraph I agree with though is the first and the second to the last paragraph. The Pilipino people are easily pleased because most of them live a simple life, I you live a grandiose life like a lot of people who does not live in third world countries will be harder to please. The slightest incident can trigger their disappointment because they don’t expect much out of their simple life, it really kind of goes hand in hand. And in the last paragraph it is true that what is striking about the Pilipino people is still finding joy in simple things in good and bad times no matter how tough it gets and not commit suicide like a lot of people who give up on their lives. I think what enables them to do that is the close relationship all Pilipino people have, they really treat their friends like a brother or a sister which I believe is an amazing quality that is lost in other countries. Another thing I agree on is Filipinos love to communicate and express themselves and that their passion for music as a form of human expression is simply amazing, but the fact that Friendster is dominated by Pilipino people is not what supports this statement. Friendster is dominated by Pilipino people because it is targeted for the Pilipino people, myspace and facebook is targeted towards the U.S. as it was created here and I think India have their own social website also.
All the rest really relates to people in general. No average person will choose the interest of the country versus the interest of their family, I mean really come on. Especially the average Pilipino person, an average Pilipino person is poor and living in a third world country, who if are lucky enough, get to put off their dreams and go abroad to feed their family, put a roof on top of their head and put their kids or brothers and sisters to school. Sacrificing their very lives for their family which in turn has been actually been good for the country because all of the remittances. What can you expect out of a third world country where the average person may have finished college, but becomes a taxi driver because really there is no job fit for his dream. And if this is the fate of a college graduate what more do you expect from someone who does not finish his/her education, but to rely on jueteng, which is a poor man’s lotto, as his/her ticket out of poverty. Really what do expect out of them. I think what’s more surprising is the fact that there are still Pilipino journalist, who are some of the future leaders of the country, out there that are far more than average who are risking their lives to deliver the truth despite the fact that at least one of them are getting murdered every month. Philippines has had the most journalist murdered next to Iraq where other things like bombs are part of the calamity. As for the other average people there in the Philippines what else do you expect out of them, but to wait for another Ninoy Aquino or Raul Roco to come who they can rally behind and hopefully vanquish all the corruption.
Then he goes on to rant about how a typical Pilipino has to look up to someone in pursuing his dream. I mean most people who have made it big had someone to idolize I’m sure Michael Jackson was one of Usher’s idol. It is part of realizing your dream in saying to yourself “Someday I’m going to be like that, but better.”
And about the Pilipino people being reactive than proactive it really is the same anywhere. Just look at the economy here they’re not even sure who to point the finger at, at least in most cases the Pilipino people knows who to blame.
The Philippines is where it is right now mostly because of past and present leaders who the Pilipino people have entrusted to change the country for good, but instead they have become a reflection of the corruption that flourishes in the country.
This article makes me wonder what kind of life this author lives. The author seems pretty insensitive to me and to other Pilipino people and seems out of touch with what is really happening over there.
Andrew
20 January 2009, 3:25 amJNS:
Thank you for your opinion Andrew.
20 January 2009, 12:39 pmLeo:
I love being a Filipino! Let’s get that out of the way first. From our history, I have learned how it is to be oppressed. For hundreds of years, different nations tried to conquer our land and make ours theirs. Spanish, Portuguese not Even Americans succeeded. We are a strong people and a strong nation not in wealth but in Moral, discipline, values, hard work and dedication to God, country, and family. Sure we have flaws like every nation in the world. But like Soriano said… “In good or bad times, what is striking about Filipinos is their ingrained nature of finding joy in simple things and putting humor even to the most catastrophic situation.” That ability is not something you can learn in a textbook or be taught in higher education. That, my friend, can be learned in a rich tradition that is passed on from generation to generation. This is my piece and comment about the article. I always get the… Are you Mexican? Are you Thai? What are you? And I say proudly… I am Filipino! I speak Tagalog, I came from an Island and yes, I like Lumpia and Pancit. In my field of profession, I am the first and only Filipino doing what I do…. Mabuhay!
20 January 2009, 9:59 pmN:
I’m pretty sure the author is Filipino so he will understand if I have my comment in Filipino (language) but for the sake of international communication, I would speak in English.
By the word “typical”, to what group are you pointing out? What are the bases for being typical and for being atypical? I live in Metro Manila, I classify myself as a low-middle class college undergrad, I’m in my teens, I’ve been “influenced” by “popular culture” as I know it, will I be considered typical just because of those things? I have agnostic/atheistic tendencies as opposed to the supposed devout nature of Filipinos, am I atypical then?
That quite concerns me since I’m not so sure about what kind of Filipinos you really are talking about. And I won’t comment in the article yet for I may waste my time expressing myself now, only finding in the end that I stereotyped the wrong group of Filipinos.
13 May 2009, 3:44 pmM.S.:
Amen brother. I am an anglo individual married to a 1st generation filipino man here in the U.S, and for all these years I have wondered is it just me? Your enlightening, albeit occasionally somewhat harsh and bitter article resonated with me as a reflection of several of the behaviors I have to deal with in the man I married. Indeed, I can now see that many of the poor behaviors that he struggles with are culturally ingrained, as his parents reflect similar poor behaviors.
3 June 2009, 10:40 pmFrom Cold North:
As I understand the author is a law professor, which on a daily basis is sharpening the sharpest minds in the Philippines. Maybe, just maybe that can give us an idea about the authors latest experienced target groups. Personally I think the author is trying to catch just a glimpse of the Filipino psyche. As I’m learning to know my newly married Filipino wife better, I will say the author’s observations are quite accurate. I don’t agree with the Angelo individual calming there is a cultural poor behavior, but then again I’m very blessed with my very god-fearing and highly intellectual wife. Btw I love the article, and to you Aurora Borealis fans I’m not speaking about the Arctic Circle.
17 June 2009, 5:24 am