This happened not long ago as I was on my way home. While I was inside this jeepney, there was a boy of about 15 or 16 who went about begging for alms from the passengers of the long line of jeepneys bound for my destination. He wasn’t alone actually as there were also a lot of other children running about the terminal begging alms and trying to get treats from vendors. Finally, the said boy came to my jeepney and begged for alms through the window I was sitting at. As he was getting to annoying to ignore, I was going to reach into my pocket for spare change when a woman sitting beside me stopped me.
“Hey kid,” she shouted at the boy. “Why don’t you get a job and get a life? Why don’t you make use of that strong body of yours to find a job?”
In reply, the boy scowled and cursed at the woman and went on his way to continue begging among the jeepneys for alms. The woman looked at me and told me that giving alms to people of that sort only invites them to be lazy and stupid. While it may buy them a meal for the day, it will not be doing them favors for the rest of their lives nor will it be doing a favor for the society that they live in.
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When I finally got home to think of the day I had, I found myself thinking of the boy and what the woman had told me. Many Filipinos tend to make use of the alleged “Pinoy Pride” in speeches but after having time to think, do Filipinos really understand what “pride” should mean for them. After finally turning in for the night, I realized that Pinoys have only superficial pride and not the pride required to better themselves and their country.
Allow me to explain, in any other country, to have “pride” at its most basic, is to have a sense of self-respect. That means you respect yourself and want others to respect yourself. To this end, you will do what it takes to make yourself respectable to others and, at the same time, give others due respect so that they may return it to you in kind.
For instance, in the United States, when you’re past 18 and are still living at your parent’s house, people will look down on you. They will see you as a parasite and an embarrassment to your family. Most Americans in this situation are then forced to leave home and with courage, determination, faith and a little luck, carve out a place in their society. Americans take pride in their independence and to see someone struggle on his or her own without the help of parents is a sign of courage to them.
Another example I can cite is that of the Japanese. Japanese are big on the idea of pride and the fact that they are willing to commit suicide because of it speaks volumes about what kind of people they are. Pride is very important to Japanese and their neighbors the Koreans, that is why they are all so dedicated to the development of their society. They pour everything they have in giving people good service simply because they pride themselves with being the best and doing anything of less quality is an insult to their pride.
Now, let’s go back to Filipinos. Given, there are still a good number of Filipinos who take the quality of their work seriously and do their best to give others the best. Unfortunately, they are easily outnumbered by the large number of Filipino masses who have a different idea of pride altogether.
Okay, so how does “pride” work for most Filipinos? Well, to most Pinoys, “pride” is simply a sense of entitlement, not a sense of honor. Take note for instance when Manny Pacquiao or Charice Pempengco manage to achieve international acclaim, large numbers of Filipinos will try to take credit for their individual victories and say that they are “proud to be Pinoy” despite the fact that these individuals made their wins through their own perseverance and strength of character. Also note that the kind of “pride” Pinoys have is the false one wherein they demand recognition and recompense even though none of them have proven themselves worthy of them.
Take for instance the misguided ideas of many activists today. They constantly demand the government to make changes for them despite the fact that they have done nothing to improve their lives other than whine on how much their lives suck. They constantly complain about being maltreated by authorities when they have, in fact, committed crimes that warrant the attention and action of authorities. Sure, there are also a lot of corrupt authorities out there but it is all too often the same whiners who put them in their positions in the first place.
What we have from our misplaced sense of pride is a vast uneducated horde of whiners who think they deserve better yet are not willing to work for a better tomorrow. As examplified by this article on Anti-Pinoy, it has come to my attention that most Pinoys think along the lines that they deserve things simply because of who or what they are instead of through their own hard work. This isn’t only inherent in the masses who have nothing better to do than beg for alms and beg for dole outs, this is also seen in authority figures who believe that they deserve the respect of people despite proving to be despicable thugs. In Japan for instance, most police officers refer to themselves in the third-person to show their humility. In the Philippines however, most policemen are seen as nothing more than uniformed gangsters who terrorize the people and openly extort money from legitimate establishments.
It is our false pride that continues to prevent us from admitting to our faults such as voting for the wrong people, polluting the environment and getting a stable job to support ourselves. It is our sense of entitlement that fools us into thinking that our country should provide for us (and not the other way around), that nature will sort itself out (probably with more typhoons) and that people should respect us (even if we treat them like dirt). Worst of all, because our pride prevents us from seeing our flaws and mistakes, it prevents us from making any real positive and permanent change in our lives and our country.
If we are going to take pride in anything, let us take pride in what we can achieve as a people. Let us take pride in an effort to make the Philippines a better place for the next generation. Let us take pride in learning to earn our own keep instead of relying on others to provide for us. Let us take pride when we can finally pick up where we left off decades ago and become a nation worthy of renown once again.
[Photo courtesy Cam111.com.]
I HAVE RETURNED TO LAY WASTE TO OUR ENEMIES!
I didn’t have any source of pride in PH. But when I became a US citizen, a lot of opportunities came and I picked a few of them to make my life better and for my future.
I felt the sense of pride and established my enlightened thinking of why PH govt and media sucks.
When I see Pacquiao fights, I thought it was only him who trains and dedicates his life for what he loves. He’s my inspiration to go to gym every morning to pump iron and do cardio. When I see San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers, I see he’s loud, full of pride, dedicated, and one of the toughest football players in NFL.
Love is easy to get, but respect and trust are hard to earn and I rather earn trust and respect. I will teach this to those who will come here from PH so they will never be trapped in the never-ending PH system full of loopholes.
Pride to Filipinos is “na fried chicken na sila”. Filipinos hitch themselves to successful Filipinos, like Pacquiao, Pempengco , Pineda, etc..thinking that they are also success, like these people.
I have an American co-worker. He is in the upper management of our company. Yet, he let his children work themselves to have a University education.
His Eldest is taking B.S. Chemistry….had won college scholarship. And, during weekends; works at McDonald to pay for his board and lodging. The Son wants to go to Graduate School to further his studies.
The father can afford to finance his son. But, the son wants to work to college, with his own initiative…
I have not seen this situation in any Filipino family…
Thanks for digging up my old “Libre me this” article. I wonder what happened to Mr. Dalisay. hehe
This is probably why a lot of cynics would say “I have seen nothing in Filipino society that can give me a sense of pride.”
Since we don’t have pride in ourselves to begin with, what can we offer when clumped together as a society?
I’m sick of people rallying behind Filipinos who’ve achieved international fame, chanting #pinoypride.
And even other people of other nationalities who may have just a drop of Filipino blood somewhere in their ancestry are proclaimed as “Filipinos”. Jesus.
Get away from the clump of idiocracy, and work yourself up, up and away…to have true Pride on yourself and accomplishments. It gives you also, good financial returns…
You know, when I do things in my job, I try to come up with an excellent result (to the most that I can do)….from almost if not perfect grammar in a report or letter, usage of apt words, good sentence construction, margins, and its cleanliness and neatness. Even if nobody will read the report I still do it out of nasa kasanayan, so it becomes an automatic action and comes easy with the constant exercise. Also, I try to make it as complete as possible, even putting in the details if necessary. It always gives me the satisfaction of a job well-done, not to please anybody, but with the thought that I should do things the excellent way. I work in a government office where I think, my Boss is one of the most mediocre Office Heads I know (she was promoted due to political affiliation)and she always makes bad remarks about my way of doing things, from interviews with clients to making reports. One day, I blew my top and among the things I said of her was she was a “nit-picker” and if she does not understand this term, she should consult Google, hahaha!!!!! I’m just glad I know my capacities, and regard myself as one of those who strive for excellence in my work, I know there are many more people who can write better than I do, or maybe have better ways of doing things than what I am doing now, but it’s just that I have my capacities too. Period.
I work in a government office that caters mostly to the indigents. So among the things I do are interviewing and making reports and referrals. I always do them in the most excellent way. When I make an interview, usually it takes a long time because mostly and I understand it, many of them who come to our office just want to be listened to. When I make a report or referral, I try to make my grammar almost if not perfect, right usage of words, good sentence construction, proper margins, make it clean and neat. It has become automatic with me out of constant exercise. I wouldn’t mind if nobody would read it, as long as I am satisfied with the outcome of my work. My boss, who is one of the most mediocre office heads that I know (her promotion was due to political clout) would always make bad remarks about my work. One day I blew my top, and among the things I said of her was that she was a “nit-picker” and if she does not understand this term, she should consult Google, hahaha!!!! Well, it’s just that I know my capacities and try to do things the excellent way possible. Always finding ways to be resourceful in making the request for assistance of a client expedited. I know there are many people who can write better than I do, or have better ways of doing things than what I’m doing, but it’s just that I have enough confidence in my God-given capacities as well as trained myself along the way – much reading, building my vocabulary since the elementary days, having favorite writers in English who taught me their styles by my reading their works, etc…. So, nobody can take this away from me, notwithstanding the negative comments and criticisms of my boss or anybody else, well because…..it’s just that I have my capacities. Period.
It is a curious thing, this blasting the human tendency to put extraordinary people in rock-hewed pedestals. Say what you will about the mass of Pinoy being underachievers next to a Pacquiao or a Recto or a Rizal, but their adulation is not itself a problem — at best it’s a spur, but (given our present straits) to what?
This country is young and it shows. Sheer pride of one’s past cannot and must not take the place and bear the burdens of actual cultural work.
As I always say, pride in itself is a bad goal to pursue. It is better gotten as a side effect or fringe benefit rather than the main thing in an endeavor. Because when pride is a goal, the motives of the related actions are usually empty or self-serving at the cost of others. If people are more motivated to do the right thing, the right kind of pride will come as a peripheral reward, not the ultimate goal.
Not a Reply About The Topic-So Please Forgive Me For That.
Just A Personal Thought:
2016 Is Fast Approaching, Grimwald, ChinoF and benign0 as The Leaders Of The Government.
Commentators of this post as Heads of Congress, The Senate and The House.
If I Could I Would Support, Rally For and Deferentially Vote.
Awesome Conversation Everyone, Thank You.
Sorry David, but I must decline. I see too much of Adolf Hitler and Vlad the Impaler in myself. Were I to become leader of this country, it could easily result in genocide and brutal executions of several individuals. So no, I don’t want to be a head in the government.
However, I am willing to support both ChinoF and Benign0 should they decide to run for office.
@Grimwald:
I will vote for BenignO, ChinoF, etc…I’m willing to draft my Carabao to run for public office. He has a better chance of solving the rice shortage, than any of these idiots who will be running for office…
I would like to vote for your carabao, HydenToro. I have no doubt at all that he is smarter and less morally bankrupt than the average Filipino politician.
What is your carabao’s name? I will vote for him too. I’m gonna make some slogans and campaign posters for him.
@Grimwald–:-) OK Then Perhaps A Position Somewhere In The AFP/PNP Perhaps You Could Use Your Adolf Hitler and Vlad The Impaler Attributes To Properly Protect The People, Just Saying…There Is A Need For That Also In A True United, Fight To The Death Nation In Need Of Change.
My carabao’s name is: KARDONG KALABAW…
“Kardong Kalabaw para sa marangal na pag-unlad ng bansa at para na din sa mga Pilipinong Mabababaw!”
Mga Plataporma ni Kardong Kalabaw:
-Libreng QUALITY education para sa mahihirap
-Mga seminar upang makapaghanda sa mga sakuna tulad ng lindol, bagyo, baha, pagputok ng bulkan, digmaang nuclear, pagbagsak ng asteroid at ang pag-upo sa puwesto ng isang Aquino o Binay.
-Mga trabahong makapagbibigay yaman sa bansa na dala ng mga dayuhan.
-Ang pagbabago ng constitusyon at ng sistema ng gobyerno.
Thanks, but I must decline too, since there are more qualified people to run for office, and I want to counter that stupid challenge our critics have fronted: if you want to do something, run for office. Sorry, that’s not a guarantee things will work right. I’ve heard from some people who’ve been in office, their reforms get blocked. Also, you know some once-serious reformists who decided to go on the Yellow Bandwagon. Today, they’ve been yoked as apologists, or else their cash flow gets cut off.
As I always say, pride in itself is a bad goal to pursue.
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Pride is not really something you set as a goal to pursue. It’s something you feel or think after an accomplishment of a certain goal which is usually positive.
Does anyone remember if there was a government-sponsored Filipino Pride initiative before? That’s probably why it became so popular – and misused. I got reminded of that after reading that the Department of Tourism can be attributed with propagating the idea of Filipino “happiness” as being noisy or loud.
Government-sponsored Filipino pride? You cannot sponsor pride. You can only feel it based on something that is a result of an accomplishment or extraordinary feat or challenge.
True, that certainly shouldn’t be done, but I can’t help but suspect that it was a government campaign sometime, which is why people keep repeating it. I suppose it’s Department of Tourism too, but I’d like to research on it and find out. That’s one of the sources of our wrong practices if so.
KNN CCB. pinoy cockroaches lah! get out of singapore! peenoise pride!
put tank in a mall! hahah!
Dignity – /ˈdignitē/ noun
1. The moment you realize that the person you cared for has nothing intellectually or spiritually to offer you, but a headache.
2. The moment you realize God had greater plans for you that don’t involve crying at night or sad Pinterest quotes.
3. The moment you stop comparing yourself to others because it undermines your worth, education and your parent’s wisdom.
4. The moment you live your dreams, not because of what it will prove or get you, but because that is all you want to do. People’s opinions don’t matter.
5. The moment you realize that no one is your enemy, except yourself.
6. The moment you realize that you can have everything you want in life. However, it takes timing, the right heart, the right actions, the right passion and a willingness to risk it all. If it is not yours, it is because you really didn’t want it, need it or God prevented it.
7. The moment you realize the ghost of your ancestors stood between you and the person you loved. They really don’t want you mucking up the family line with someone that acts anything less than honorable.
8. The moment you realize that happiness was never about getting a person. They are only a helpmate towards achieving your life mission.
9. The moment you believe that love is not about losing or winning. It is just a few moments in time, followed by an eternity of situations to grow from.
10. The moment you realize that you were always the right person. Only ignorant people walk away from greatness.
Many Filipinos see nothing wrong with joining the US military, swearing allegiance to the US flag ( yes, a foreign country) and then telling everybody how proud they are to be Filipinos.
There is no equivalent anywhere in the world to this kind of “pride”.
How can you be proud of being a Filipino when the US oath includes oath of renunciation done on the Bible in which you swear that you reject your old country?
Then when they rise in the ranks, Philippine newspapers publish articles about them also celebrating their success and that they are “Filipinos”.
In most other countries the act of swearing allegiance to and serving in the armed forces of another state is seen as treason.
A proud Filipino should be serving in his own armed forces defending the country against the Chinese and/or Mindanao rebels.
The French Foreign Legion exists and its soldiers are held in high regard. Not sure where you’re trying to get at.
They are there to become Frenchmen. They don’t go around trumpeting their old nationality to the world.
I’m sick of people rallying behind Filipinos who’ve achieved international fame, chanting #pinoypride. – Andoy
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But why? Are you not happy Filipinos are accomplishing something in the international stage? What is wrong in our fellow Filipinos showcasing to the world their talent and skills that makes other people happy? What is wrong in celebrating talent, skills and physical beauty?
Are you not happy that we have people to look up to not exactly of how they are but how they become through patience, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, etc.?
What’s happening in this corner of the world that even a simple ‘pinoy pride’ label is being made an issue as if having it makes us worse as a people?
We want more Einsteins and Curies to take Filipino international fame, not wannabe Biebers and Swifts.
Seriously, this country’s bias over the arts instead of the sciences is but one of the reasons why most serious Filipinos in this country find it hard to instill pride.
“Seriously, this country’s bias over the arts instead of the sciences is but one of the reasons why most serious Filipinos in this country find it hard to instill pride.”
— even supposing that we have a cultural bias for the nurturing of the arts over the sciences, I still have trouble following through this sort of throwaway line. The insinuation that the arts are for the immature shallow frivolous, and that people who have an interest in it and profess it are themselves immature shallow frivolous —
— well, that’s not only a hard one to take in, that’s a considerable exaggeration, if not a hallmark of bias.
To state it simply: so you’re interested in geology physics chemistry, and I’m interested in literature music painting? Whoop dee doooooooooooooooooooooooo — have a nice life, but neither one of us is a fitful baby for appreciating this or that.
Yes, I’m being rather biased myself, but one need not to be an expert to see that attitude for yourself. Kids wanting to become dancers and singers than researchers or professors. When it comes to a country that badly needs these professions, it sure loves to look the other way, per usual.
Look, I personally have nothing against the arts, but with the PH severe lack of infrastructure, let alone R&D when its neighbors around it are starting to dabble into it, it’s a cause of concern. There doesn’t seem to be a lick of scientific curiosity among the masses. I don’t know about you, but I want the PH to graduate from a counry of laborers and entertainers to one of more substance and sustainability.
I like swift. As for Beiber, he is an annoying androgenous voiced lil dweeb.
Imagine an office worker being awarded by the head office. Then his co-worker comes out and says, “hey, I’m his officemate,” even if they barely know each other. It’s basically an attempt to draw attention to oneself in a self-aggrandizing manner. And it looks stupid. That’s how Filipinos shouting Pinoy pride look.
Also, the “Pinoy Pride” term has been seriously overused. It’s used even where there is nothing to be proud of at all. It’s got to stop.
Imagine an office worker being awarded by the head office. Then his co-worker comes out and says, “hey, I’m his officemate,” even if they barely know each other.
========
I don’t know what ‘pinoy pride’ got to do with the example above. Your officemate gets awarded and you say you’re his officemate and that’s pinoy pride?
@jameboy, well if you fail to see the analogy there, you probably will NEVER get it. Try to THINK about what is trying to be said here. There are relationships between things that can be identified with a bit of IMAGINATION.
The example is very clear. I don’t know how you will use your imagination on that.
But if imagination is required to understand some posts here, not reason or logic, I guess, that would be the game.
“I don’t know what ‘pinoy pride’ got to do with the example above. Your officemate gets awarded and you say you’re his officemate and that’s pinoy pride?”
—————————
you seem to feel entitled to “explanations” when none is actually needed. if you really don’t understand it, well, tough luck.=)
You can tell whether deliberate failure to see the analogy is just trolling.
One celebrity blogger here,I won’t regret calling officemate even if I barely know him. Sikat kasi sya eh.
Moving on, I like the Philippines to have more scientists too,and I am frustrated at the state of infrastructure.
But I still get star struck,i still want to know if a pinay qualified in the semis of miss universe.
Excuse pinoys for their moment,but you are right it should not stop there.
“For instance, in the United States, when you’re past 18 and are still living at your parent’s house, people will look down on you. They will see you as a parasite and an embarrassment to your family. Most Americans in this situation are then forced to leave home and with courage, determination, faith and a little luck, carve out a place in their society. Americans take pride in their independence and to see someone struggle on his or her own without the help of parents is a sign of courage to them.”
Sorry, but this is rather outdated thinking. Most young adults in the US opt to live with their parents now thanks to the economic turnover of the recent decades. American society knows that as well so the stigma has eased considerably. At the very least, they’re not out making babies left and right exacerbating their situation for the most part.
Well, at least the last statement still shows that they’re a little wiser when it comes to decision-making than your garden-variety Noypi…
Frankly, most of what I’m reading here about ‘Pinoy Pride’ is just about nitpicking. That’s my opinion about it.
It’s quibbling over trivia. To nitpick is to be excessively concerned with or critical of inconsequential details. That’s what’s being said about ‘Pinoy Pride’.
Of course, there is a serious side on the issue of “pride” but so far I have yet to read somebody exploring that side.
I see and treat ‘Pinoy Pride’ on a lighter scale or positive manner because it is a feeling of peaceful, joyful or happy celebration of an accomplishment by our compatriots or fellow Filipinos at home or in foreign lands. What is wrong with that?
Americans don’t mind their fellow Americans shouting “USA, USA, USA!” in a Hotdog eating contest, so why can’t we be given a slack in doing ‘Pinoy Pride’ if a Filipino wins in sports or beauty contest?
Lighten up, people.
The crux of the problem is misplaced pride, not pride itself. Inflating yourself over something as nebulous as nationality only seeves to prove that you don’t have much as an individual. In fact, trying to differentiate yourself from the “outsiders” also encourages tribalism and division, both primitive concepts we should’ve let go a long time ago. What did you think started WWI?
And yes, Yanks are heavily guilty with false pride too which leads them to be hated by a lot of people too. Thing is, when they talk the talk they tend to walk the walk, not just blow hot air all over. Same can go for the French with “Vive la France”, the Japanese with “Nippon Banzai” and the UK’s “God save the Queen”
The crux of the problem is misplaced pride, not pride itself.
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I don’t know about that. Misplaced or not, pride is a positive thing. There maybe a serious side to it but I have not seen it yet on this space.
You are better repected to have more humility in yourself than being . Nobody likes a braggart who has nothing to show for, but the achievements of others.
You only deserve pride once you’ve shown you have actual ability that speaks for yourself, not through credentials by way of nationality.
*being proud
If pride is really a positive thing, so many belief systems would not call it as an evil. Such as pride calling Catholicism as the first of seven deadly sins. Perhaps you confuse pride with self-esteem.
Pride will never uplift, Pinoy Pride as the concept goes is based on the idea that one is superior to another, which goes against universally accepted ideas of equality. While more wrong by itself, it is the root of many wrong actions.
Oh, last line should go, “While NOT wrong by itself…”
Unfortunately, they are easily outnumbered by the large number of Filipino masses who have a different idea of pride altogether.
Okay, so how does “pride” work for most Filipinos? Well, to most Pinoys, “pride” is simply a sense of entitlement, not a sense of honor.
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I cannot make sense out of the two sentences. How can poverty accord you a feeling of sense of entitlement? You are poor, you have no title, no nothing and you feel you are entitled to something?
I don’t see poor Filipinos just sit around because of sense of entitlement. I see them struggle to make ends meet day in and day out. Of course there are lazy ones and the do-nothings but they are that not because of sense of entitlement. They’re simply lazy and indolent. Nothing poetic about it.
Take note for instance when Manny Pacquiao or Charice Pempengco manage to achieve international acclaim, large numbers of Filipinos will try to take credit for their individual victories and say that they are “proud to be Pinoy” despite the fact that these individuals made their wins through their own perseverance and strength of character. Also note that the kind of “pride” Pinoys have is the false one wherein they demand recognition and recompense even though none of them have proven themselves worthy of them.
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I don’t think that’s “trying to take credit”. Saying “Proud to be Pinoy” when a Filipino achieved fame and fortune is not trying to take credit, it’s an expression of celebration on the accomplishment of our kababayan.
You are proud and happy that your fellow Filipino accomplished something in their fields. I don’t see that as wrong or trying to take credit. Who will believe you that you have something to do in the accomplishments of those people to give your self a credit? People of other nationalities understand the pride and joy we feel because they also feel and do it themselves with their compatriots.
Problem is, being proud and happy about one’s fellow achievements is done as a show. It’s really OK to feel happy being proud and happy about someone. But when you express it so loudly and conspicuously, there’s surely something else than being “proud and happy.” Something that is more than likely quite the opposite of that.
stay tuned with the “what’s the problem if it’s done for show” or something of that sort of rebuttal from mr genius.=) (snickers)
give it up man, how much is malacanang paying you to “discredit” people here anyway? like i said before, your by-the-numbers-style argumentation BS is lame.=)
or rather, how many of you dickheads are using the “jameboy” account anyway? LOL
Problem is, being proud and happy about one’s fellow achievements is done as a show. It’s really OK to feel happy being proud and happy about someone. But when you express it so loudly and conspicuously, there’s surely something else than being “proud and happy.” Something that is more than likely quite the opposite of that.
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It’s your opinion that it’s a ‘show’. With regard to ‘loudly and conspicuously’, I think you are talking of personal experience and not in general. If you experienced something like that don’t assume that it happens to everybody. That is not how it works.
But it’s not just personal experience, it’s an observation confirmed by many other people.
If pride is really a positive thing, so many belief systems would not call it as an evil. Such as pride calling Catholicism as the first of seven deadly sins. Perhaps you confuse pride with self-esteem.
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But you are already mixing pride with religion. I don’t argue on that point. My contention was this:
Are you not happy Filipinos are accomplishing something in the international stage? What is wrong in our fellow Filipinos showcasing to the world their talent and skills that makes other people happy? What is wrong in celebrating talent, skills and physical beauty?
Are you not happy that we have people to look up to not exactly of how they are but how they become through patience, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, etc.?
Up to now, no one has directly address those questions.
You seem to miss a lot of points yet find points that never existed to begin with. Nobody here is asserting that it is wrong to be happy for the achievements of fellow Filipinos. What is being called out here is the way Filipinos make a flawed logical leap by concluding that the Philippines is a great country because of the achievements of an infinitessimaly minority elite of their population.
If I missed a lot of points I welcome anybody and have a discussion with it. I just want to make it clear we don’t have to quarrel about it. My view is to invite discussion to be able to clarify what really is the kind of ‘pride’ we are talking about here. You see, I’ve read some examples that, in my opinion, is not really a proper gauge as to whether the ‘pride’ has been the determinant as to whether it is really wrong or not or that the Filipinos has been capitalizing on to see the country as great.
I maybe wrong but let me just quote one paragraph from the article:
“Well, to most Pinoys, “pride” is simply a sense of entitlement, not a sense of honor. Take note for instance when Manny Pacquiao or Charice Pempengco manage to achieve international acclaim, A LARGE NUMBER OF FILIPINOS WILL TRY TO TAKE CREDIT for their individual victories and say that they are “proud to be Pinoy” despite the fact that these individuals made their wins through their own perseverance and strength of character. Also note that the kind of “pride” Pinoys have is the false one wherein they demand recognition and recompense even though none of them have proven themselves worthy of them.”
I don’t think thats an accurate description of what ‘pride’ is. Being happy or being in a celebratory mood does not mean taking credit for something you have not done anything for. Those people expressing joy and happiness on the success of people like Pacquiao, Charice, et.al. does it in celebration of their excellence; of their accomplishments. Nobody can away and take credit for it and be credible and belieavble. That’s how I see it.
I could be wrong, sure, and I have been wrong a couple times but unless we talk about it as mature people and have a formal discussion about it we’ll not be able to lay everything down on the table to have a clear picture of the real issue is. I say that because pride takes a lot of meanings and forms. We have pride as a Filipino NOT because of the achievements of other people but because of who we are. We have pride with our work ethics as a Filipino as proven by international demands for our workforce. And then we have pride on ourselves on a personal or individual level while we don’t feel the same way as a Filipino. We have pride of our past history but not on the present. I mean, pride is really a lot of things to a lot of people.
In fact, it is multi-dimensional that in this blog alone we have several articles about pride, namely:
•Why Pinoys need Pride Deflators
•Why Pinoy Pride will never save the Philippines
•What is the right kind of Pinoy Pride?
•Filipinos need to stop whining about their pride…
Mixing pride with religion? Not the right description, I’d say. But religion, and even philosophy, has many observations that see pride as wrong. Filipinos proclaiming pride loudly is a contradiction to their other claim of being value-centered people.
Also perhaps you are annoyed that GRP is “making basag someone’s trip.” So your contention might be, people are enjoying themselves, let them be! But a person taking drugs on a high will crash later on, so it’s better to break their trip before they crash. Yes, GRP will make basag (oh, that’s so conyo) your trip, because your trip is wrong.
As Benign0 said, the Philippines was never a great country, because the few achievers do not make it great. The greatness of achievers is theirs alone. They are more of the “flies in the soup” – the exceptions. So the others cannot claim they are great because their fellow countryman in great, the fault of “free riding.” This is more of our opinion, but very much based on sound reasoning and observations from many other sound-reasoning people, such as James Fallows, Clarence Henderson and F. Sionil Jose. We provide such strong dissenting opinions to counterbalance the tide of what we believe is wrong.
Also perhaps you are annoyed that GRP is “making basag someone’s trip.” So your contention might be, people are enjoying themselves, let them be! But a person taking drugs on a high will crash later on, so it’s better to break their trip before they crash. Yes, GRP will make basag (oh, that’s so conyo) your trip, because your trip is wrong.
As Benign0 said, the Philippines was never a great country, because the few achievers do not make it great. The greatness of achievers is theirs alone. They are more of the “flies in the soup” – the exceptions. So the others cannot claim they are great because their fellow countryman in great, the fault of “free riding.” This is more of our opinion, but very much based on sound reasoning and observations from many other sound-reasoning people, such as James Fallows, Clarence Henderson and F. Sionil Jose. We provide such strong dissenting opinions to counterbalance the tide of what we believe is wrong.
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I really don’t know why it has come to that. That it is about GRP “making basag someone’s trip”, whatever that is. That once you make a different opinion or you disagree you are considered an outsider or an enemy or somebody who has to put a label on for being ‘not with us’.
Why does the discussion has to go down to that level? Is it really good to quarrel over issues that we can agree to disagree on? Fine, you believe that your view is correct but can we stay on topic and avoid personal expression that tends to drag the discussion on the level of immaturity?
If you disagree on something you think is wrong, I should also be allowed to disagree on something I think is wrong. This (GRP) blog is a market of ideas that enables us to express our thinking and share ideas with others. I’m aware of the leanings of the blog and I respect it and I also believe we should all be allowed to participate in a healthy discussion and no one should be allowed to single out anyone who happened to present a contrary opinion, except maybe benign0. I completely get it, it’s his blog, it’s his rule. Other than him, we all should be equal in representing and expressing our ideas and thinking.
Lastly, ChinoF, don’t you think you are also guilty of exercising false pride by holding your self superior and making unnecessary personal statements derogatory against those whom you think hold a wrong view or opinion on issues?
No, I’m not guilty, because I’m expressing my views in a space I can call my own. Yes, you are allowed to disagree – where did I say you’re not? All I was doing was making a counterpoint here.
@ benignO
I don’t see anything wrong about @jameboy’s valid objections on @ChinoF’s flawed stand on this issue of “pinoy pride”. “Greatness” BTW is a relative term so what is wrong about Filipinos saying the Philippines is a great country as a result of some exemplary accomplishments by some Filipinos in the fields of arts, music, sports and beauty.
The problem is, as a blogger @ChinoF is not able to respond to a very simple question.
Please repeat the simple question.
Also, read this to know what kind of misplaced pride we are talking about.
Filipino culture is disgustingly evil. Biased media, racism(whites are superior), bullying(bigger means better), pride without reason, laziness, religious but lacks empathy for others, love for material things esp. money/gadgets, voting corrupt politicians for petty cash, nepotism, anti-intellectualism, making more and more children when they don’t have income to feed themselves!, takes HONEST TO GOODNESS criticism personally, some abuse/hurt animals for their pathetic amusement, dumb cursing(calls you ignorant for no reason), dishonest in business, etc. I’m Filipino with Chinese and Spanish blood as a child I was oblivious to the Filipino culture but as I grew up it made sense. The only way to counter ideology is through ideology(realism), pride is nothing more than a feeling, it can be ignored. Sadly most Filipinos listen to emotions so much that no wisdom comes to their minds and hearts. Reality is good if you know how to find the good in things.
“The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, but the realist adjusts the sails” – William Arthur Ward
Why do Filipinos need “pride”? I see this presented mostly in the form of bandwagon pridists:
Manny P. boxing achievement = PINOY PRIDE!!!
Some woman in a foreign talent show = PINOY PRIDE!!!
etc etc = PROUD TO BE PINOY!!!
Why they need to get in other people nose when some random PINOY achieved something of value??? If you’re gonna “PRIDE” make sure it is of your own effort and achievement…
George Carlin piece about Pride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR2PhY0OPSY
Pride in the wrong place is being proud of being last, like our science and math situation.
They must make K12’s aim to rectify that.
I know that one should strive for excellence and do not settle for second best, but we must first take actionable steps to move to the higher step or rung in the ladder.