12 Annoying Attitudes of Filipinos We Need To Get Rid Of
Let’s admit it; at some point in our lives, we have been guilty of
one or two (or more) of the Pinoy bad habits listed below. Although
these negative traits do not diminish the fact that Filipinos are a very
awesome people, it’s just sad that they have continued to pull us down
personally and as a nation.
Therefore, for the good of ourselves and our country, it is
imperative that we should discard the following Pinoy bad habits and
attitudes:
1. Crab Mentality.
Simply put, this refers to the behavior of preventing someone from
achieving something due to jealousy or envy. Instead of praising or
rendering assistance, someone with crab mentality would think
“if I can’t have it, then you can’t as well” and
will purposely try to bring his/her victim down. And just like the
crabs who could have escaped from the bucket if they only stopped
pulling each other down, nothing ever gets accomplished.
2. Ningas-Kugon.
One reason why we sometimes exert half-hearted effort in our undertakings is due to this attitude. Translated to
“burning cogon grass” in
English, this idiom is meant to illustrate how Filipinos initially
exhibit great enthusiasm at the beginning of a project. Our eagerness
however, fades away just as quickly as the fire is extinguished, leaving
our work either half-baked or unfinished.
3. Mañana Habit.
It is ironic that the Spanish would accuse Filipinos of being lazy when they themselves taught us the
mañana habit
in the first place. Known as “tomorrow” in English, the habit
encourages procrastination, an “ability” we Filipinos have since turned
into an art form. Even the most urgent of projects and tasks can be
relegated for some other time; we are only forced to work on them when
the deadline is near. It’s a miracle we get things done in this country.
4. Filipino Time.
Related to the
mañana habit, Filipino time
refers to the Filipinos’ own unique brand of time, which is known to be
minutes or hours behind the standard time. In other words, we tend not
to observe punctuality at all. This behavior usually drives
time-observant foreigners crazy. While we Filipinos with our easy-going
ways have somewhat become used to Filipino time, it still is a bad habit
that needs to be dropped.
5. Being Onion-Skinned (Balat Sibuyas).
We Filipinos are famous for being onion-skinned or easily slighted at
perceived insults. While it’s perfectly normal for us to taunt and
criticize others, we can’t handle the same when it’s being hurled back
at us. Incidents showcasing our extra-sensitivity to insults usually
involve a foreigner making either a bonafide racist remark or a humorous
jab at us Filipinos. True to form, our reactions would range from
righteous indignation to excessive grandstanding. While it is alright to
feel incensed, throwing a fit in front of the world would inevitably do
us no good at all.
6. General Disregard For Rules.
Why is it so hard for Filipinos to obey the rules? This social
phenomenon is not exclusive to hardened criminals either—a look at
everyday life in the country shows Filipinos from the entire social
strata nonchalantly breaking the rules, whether it is something as
benign as jaywalking or as dangerous as beating the red light.
An interesting theory goes that the Filipinos’ penchant for
law-breaking goes beyond mere lack of discipline or failure to implement
the rules. It is something that is ingrained in our very culture.
Being oppressed under the yoke of colonization for such a long time made
our ancestors defiant of the rules they believed to be discriminatory.
Although such
“self-righteous disobedience” may have been
alright during their time, the behavior would continue to manifest
itself among the later Filipinos, resulting in an utter lack of respect
for the rules.
7. Colonial Mentality.
Probably one of the biggest flaws we have as a nation is our colonial
mentality, defined as a preference for all things foreign over our own,
a negative trait we acquired from our days under the Spanish and the
Americans. As a result, we Filipinos have been indoctrinated with the
misconception that our culture is inferior to that of our past
colonizers.
Glaring examples of colonial mentality include patronizing foreign
instead of local brands, favoring foreign values over our own, and even
desiring to look more “Western” (think whitening products). If we can’t
even have pride in our own country, then unfortunately we will always be
stuck with this self-defeating mentality.
8. Balikbayan Box Mentality.
While there is nothing wrong with giving gifts to one’s family and
friends (we Filipinos do highly value them after all), it becomes a
different matter when said family and friends either misconstrue or
abuse the OFW’s generosity.
In local parlance, this has become known as the
“Balikbayan box mentality.”
People ingrained with this mentality either become exploitative or
jealous of the success of the OFW, not knowing that he/she is working
hard away from his loved ones in a foreign country. Some also believe
that the practice undoubtedly contributes to the Filipinos’ colonial
mentality.
9. Bahala Na Attitude.
Roughly translated as “come what may”, this is the Filipinos’ own
version of fatalism, the belief of leaving everything to the hands of
fate.
This attitude, while not inherently detrimental in itself, is still a
double-edged sword. On one hand, positive aspects of this behavior
include belief in Divine Providence and national social responsibility.
On the other hand, the attitude can also promote a sense of helplessness
and resignation of one’s fate at the local level, and a countrywide
lack of empathy and collective action on the national level. This is
also the reason why we tend to have amnesia over past wrongdoings
committed by our leaders.
10. Corruption.
One of the biggest social ills our country has continued to face
since time immemorial is the issue of corruption. Let’s face it, our
“culture of corruption” is
embedded deep within our system and reinforced by a complex web of
economic and social factors which include personal ambitions and a
twisted sense of loyalty to friends and kin. The Philippines is in for a
long haul if our officials and we ourselves do not get rid of this very
negative habit.
11. Maintaining Double Standards.
This behavior can be observed in just about every sector of
Philippine society, with the most common example being the condemnation
of an adulterous woman while applauding a polygamous man. On the
national scale, we see politicians spouting promises of reform and good
governance only to break them in the end. Long story short, some
Filipinos are hypocrites to the core.
12. Excessive Partying.
Now
there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a fiesta and
party every now and then, it’s just that we Filipinos tend to overdo
it. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and even somber funerals are
celebrated by Filipinos like there is no tomorrow. Sometimes we even
make up the slightest of reasons just so we could have an excuse to
party. What’s more, a host would sometimes even
strain his own finances just to impress his guests.
As for fiestas, it seems that every LGU down to the smallest barangay
in the country has a fiesta to celebrate. Like we said, it’s alright to
party, but we should really focus on austerity and working hard first.
Your Turn
Got some other bad Pinoy habits you want to point out? Then drop us a line at our
official Facebook Page. Don’t forget to like!
Sources: Filipino American Psychology: A
Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice; Culture Shock!
Philippines: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette; The Filipino
Moving Onward; Values Education II; Encyclopedia of Asian American
Folklore and Folklife, Volume 1; Philippines Country Study Guide; Values
in Philippine Culture and Education; A Changeless Land: Continuity and
Change in Philippine Politics; Reluctant Bedfellows: Feminism, Activism
and Prostitution in the Philippines; International Perspectives on
Violence
About the Author: When he isn’t
deploring the sad state of Philippine politics, Marc V. likes to skulk
around the Internet for new bits of information which he can weave into a
somewhat-average list you might still enjoy. You can also check out his
ho-hum yet extremely addicting lists over at Listverse.com and read them… over and over again.
Source:
http://www.filipiknow.net/negative-traits-of-filipinos/
