The Filipino Individual

Are Filipinos so blind to individuals?
...do they have a sense of individuality?
...do they have strong individual role models?

Standout individuals that come to mind are very few:
...Manny Villar (you don't really hear anyone saying 'The Villars...')
...Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (you don't really hear anyone saying 'The Arroyos...')
...Ferdinand Marcos (pre People Power)

You can also say they were corrupt, but that's beside the point
...the point is that these individuals reached the heights of power, and thus money

Other notable Filipino individuals are:
...Manny Pacquiao
...Charice Pempengco
...Cristeta Pacia-Comerford
...no offense if I missed any other ones you know of

You can't really say these individuals reached the 'heights of power'
...but they have reached the heights of individual personal achievement 
...they weren't part of a group or team
...but they are part of a strategic pairing

You could say
...Manny Pacquiao-Roach
...Charice Pempenco-Winfrey
...Cristeta Pacia-Comerford

There is an American behind those successful Filipinos
...and notice that those Americans have gladly taken backseats
...so the Filipino can get all the glory and success
...because Americans are secure
...they don't feel the need to be noticed for their contributions


Filipinos need to focus more on individuality
...and in doing so, they can then form an identity
...because the description of Filipinos right now is not looking so good


Description of Filipinos (please note the 's' at the end)

...insecure
......hyper-emotional
......never admit mistakes

...conservative (closet-liberal)
...full of excuses
...always late
...loves talking about problems
...loves to gossip
...never give direct answers
...never say 'no'


Filipinos hate being described like that
...and they should try to develop their individual identities that are separate from the group description
...don't represent your 'people'
...don't represent your 'country'
...represent yourself

================================

Maybe DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALITY should be added to school curricula
...as a core subject
...or at the very least, an elective

High school is when kids are supposed to develop their individuality
...but they wind up developing group-think instead

One reason for this is the school uniform
...take into account the definition of 'uniform'
...it suggests 'same-ness'

American High Schools and Colleges encourage individuality by allowing students to dress in civilian clothing
...with certain 'guidelines for decency' of course
...students are free to express themselves through clothing
...students are free to develop themselves without the need for 'books' or 'teaching'

Of course, the people who sell the uniforms will oppose this.

Another reason is because the 'classes' they have stay together for the entire school-day
...they wind up forming groups amongst themselves
...with no individuals in sight

In America, students usually stay together in one classroom for only 1 period
...around 1 hour long
...for their next subject, they all disperse and go to different classrooms
...and stay with different students
...this prevents them from forming groups inside the classroom
...they develop individuality instead

Whatever groups they involve themselves in get formed outside the classroom
...but inside the classroom, they are all individuals


==============================

Pacquiao

What an interesting Filipino individual
...he is very talented and skilled
...and boxing is not a group-sport

He has reached global recognition
...but pay attention
...he has partnered up with an American

This goes to show that Talent is never enough
...you also need Ambition
...you also need Confidence
...you also need the right partnership


Pacquiao has all these, that's why he is extremely successful.

Filipinos -in general- however
...they only have Talent, endless amounts of talent
...but no Ambition (because of this)
...but no Confidence (because of this)
...they are able to network and partner up
...but only with the wrong people (read: each other)

The Philippines need more individuals like him.

Anu ba yan....

Charice will Fail

She has to be instructed NOT to mention GOD during interviews
...and whenever she has a concert

God has a bad reputation in America
...you don't want people thinking "oh, she's a Christian performer... a religious nut"
...that will alienate potential fans

She should also be instructed NOT to mention "I'M FILIPINO! I'M FILIPINO!"
...that will also alienate her NON-Filipino fans and/or potential NON-Filipino fans

You don't see Beyonce saying "I'M BLACK, I'M BLACK"
...she doesn't want people to like her because she's BLACK
...she wants people to like her because she's AWESOME

Do you see Lady Gaga saying "Italian Pride! Italian Pride!" ??

Race is irrelevant
...show your ability
...show your skill
...show your talent

Know this group called the jabbawockeez?
...they covered their faces
...because they don't want people to appreciate their skill because of their race
...they want people to appreciate their skills period

The Ship is Sinking...

A cruise ship is sinking
...so the captain tells his 1st officer to gather the people and put them on the life boats
...the 1st officer comes back after 10 minutes and tells the captain

"Captain, everyone but the people who are having an International Conference are on the life boats."

The captain asks why they haven't boarded the life boats
...the 1st officer says

"They said that their conference is very important."

The captain says he will gather them up himself...
...after 10 minutes, the captain tells the 1st officer

"They have all boarded the life boats."

1st Officer: "Captain, how did you manage to get them all to board the life boats?"

Captain:

"Easy, I went up to them one by one...

I said to the Russian:
...'Tovarisch, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat; THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY!'
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the German:
...'Hallo, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat; THAT IS A COMMAND!
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the American:
...'Good day, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat: you are insured.'
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the French:
...'Bonjour, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat: it would be trés chic.'
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the Italian:
...'Buon giorno, the ship is sinking. But it is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN to board the life boat.'
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the Japanese:
...'Konnichiwa, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat; here is a camera; you may take pics.'
...and he boarded the life boat

I said to the Filipino:
...'Hello, the ship is sinking. You must board the life boat; the other Filipinos are already there.'
...and he boarded the life boat

Being Gay: Is it by choice or are you born that way?

People keep arguing whether being gay is a choice or if people are just born that way.

It's both.

You are either born gay or born straight
...and it's your choice to live according to how you were born

To people who keep saying "It's a choice", I want to ask them one thing...

"If you chose to be straight, what were you born as?"

Gay Marriage vs Civil Unions

Gay Marriage is simply not possible in the Philippines
...it's a religious ceremony that managed to infect government affairs
...let the religious nuts have their 'marriage'


I think Civil Unions are a more viable option.

So when I create my own country, I'm going to make Civil Unions available to everyone.

With certain conditions, of course:

1. Partners will have to have lived in the same apartment/condo/house for a minimum of 3 years
...will need utility bills to prove this

2. Divorce is allowed.

3. Partners are required to sign a pre-nuptial agreement
...in which respective partners will not receive any posessions the other partner has (in case of Divorce)
...posessions mean any tangible or non-tangible properties purchased under one's name

4. Partners under a Civil Union will receive the same rights, protections, and privileges that Married couples have.




I think this is brilliant.

PART 3: Top 3 Worst Imports the Philippines has Ever Received

3. Quantity over Quality (mentality)



Imported from China

Why did Filipinos adapt this mentality?
...the more affordable something is
...the less quality it usually has
...the more people will be able to buy it
...the higher the profit margin is, right?


You're adapting the mentality of a GIANT country with almost 2 billion people
...the Philippines is a SMALL country with only 100 million people


Compare the quality of items in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea
...they are usually associated with top quality products
...and they are small countries
...the Philippines can be the same


The Philippines should adapt the same mentality
...focus more on quality rather than quantity
...the poorer the quality your items have
...you can only sell it amongst yourselves
...but the higher the quality your items have
...you can sell it overseas 
...and develop a similar reputation as the other Asian countries


The Philippines should join the other small countries with top quality products
...not join the big countries with poor quality products


"But China does this..." "China does that..."
...bullshit
...the Philippines is nowhere near comparable to China


If you're selling your 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house
...you figure out how much you're going to sell it for
...based on other 3 bedroom 2 bathroom houses within a specific radius (comparable)
...not the 10 bedroom 7 bathroom mansion right next to you
...logic?






2. Democracy (concept)


Imported from the USA.

You can't use Democracy on a developing country that does not have a stable economy
...you need to set up an economic system that would stabilize the economy first


You can't use Democracy on a developing country that does not have an educated people
...because then you'd have idiots on the voting polls

It's extremely difficult to get anything done with a Democracy
...all you wind up doing is finding things to complain about 
...and everything is left undone






1.The Roman Catholic Church (ideology)


Imported from Spain.


 The Church teaches Filipinos to
...be humble (instead of confident)
..."follow your heart" (instead of "use your head")
...follow the path (instead of making their own)
...kneel down and pray (instead of get up and act)
...have faith and blindly trust (instead of asking questions)
...be servants and followers (instead of leaders and innovators)
...subside and diminish into groups (instead of being an individual and stand out)
...do good and avoid mistakes (instead of make many mistakes and learn from them)


And Filipinos scratch their heads wondering why they have not reached their potential?

PART 2: Stuck on EDSA

EDSA was one of the worst things that has ever happened in Philippine history.

People joined together, held each others' hands and overthrew a militant regime
...it was a time for celebration
...it was a time of victory
...it was a time of joy and happiness

The people were in a euphoric haze of wondrous emotion
...it's like an entire nation took E
...and its effect lasted a few years
...circa 1986-1990 or so

Unfortunately the people failed to realize
...that in that delirious haze of emotion
...they put a housewife in the highest seat of the land
...no qualifications whatsoever

She was put there simply based on
...adoration
...association
...and symbolism

After the euphoria had worn off
...was the country better off than it was before?
...but that's ok
...so long as everyone was happy
...and there was Democracy
...and the president was adored by the people

The Philippines became an animal farm of sorts
...but with no farmer in sight

=================================================


When people experience a peak in their emotional scale
...call it a "high" if you will
...and it happens in a specific timeframe in their lives
...the timeframe can be as long as several months
...to several years
...when they felt most alive
...they have the tendency to keep re-living that timeframe
...over and over and over

Example:
...the hippies (70's era people) of America

Have you ever met anyone like that?
...people who seem to dress according to a certain timeframe?
...people who seem to talk according to a certain timeframe?
...people who seem to act according to a certain timeframe?
...even though it's already 2010

They keep living in that timeframe
...because they want to repeat what they felt during that time

When there is nothing desirable in the foreseeable future
...they will never move forward
...they will keep coming back to that timeframe when they felt most alive

This is where the phrase "...stuck in a time-warp" comes from.



=================================================

The exact same situation happened in the Philippines
...it was called EDSA

Have you noticed that whoever was popular during the EDSA timeframe
...they are still popular now?

Don't believe me?
...consider certain politicians and actors who are popular now in the Philippines
...were they popular during the EDSA timeframe?

Have you noticed that whatever songs were popular during the EDSA timeframe
...they are still popular now?

Don't believe me?
...name a really old song that still gets playtime on the radio
...and tell me if that song was popular during the EDSA timeframe

What theme of emotion was popular in TV during the EDSA timeframe?
...is it still popular now?


Don't believe me?
...popular themes during the EDSA timeframe were
...Good versus Evil
...Girl Power
...Love
...are these themes still popular now?




=================================================


This is how Filipinos are "stuck in a time-warp"

Even if world technology is new
...even if the world mentality is new
...even if the world media is new

Filipinos are stuck in a time-warp
...stuck with the old mentality
...stuck with the old themes
...stuck with the old songs
...stuck with the old emotions

They want to feel the euphoria of EDSA again
...while the rest of the world passes by




=================================================



What Filipinos learned:

1. It's not important to look at the results of peoples' deeds
...what's important is that they're "popular" and "like-able"



2. You don't need skills and qualifications to reach a high position
...you just have to be "associated" with someone who does


3. The surest way to be elected is to be "popular" and "nice"

4. The wrong associations:
...LEADERS             = Ferdinand Marcos = Bad = Be followers instead
...AMBITION           = Ferdinand Marcos = Bad = Be humble instead
...INDIVIDUALS     = Ferdinand Marcos = Bad = Join groups instead


=================================================

EDSA symbolized the fall of the INDIVIDUAL
...and the rise of GROUPS
...and the rise of Groupthink

=================================================

This is PART 2 of a 3 part post
PART 3: Philippines' Worst Imports

PART 1: Bill Clinton on the Philippines

Let's break down his response piece by piece...


Bill Clinton: 

Well I think, first of all
...on the whole it wasn't a big advantage for the nation to have been
...colonized -if you will- by Spain and the United States


TRANSLATION:
...the Catholic Church (SPAIN) did not benefit the Philippines
...Democracy and the Dollar (USA) did not benefit the Philippines

====================================================


Bill Clinton: 

They got a lot out of it
...but it makes it too easy to maintain the ties that bind
...and it's been great for America
...all the Filipinos that have served in the armed forces
...it's been great for all the families who got the remittances that were sent back home

But it takes you very quickly to a level that makes life bearable
...but it doesn't necessarily create the mindset let's say that exists in Rwanda


TRANSLATION:
...Filipinos' lives got 'comfortable' very easily because of the US Dollar
...it made the Filipinos 'lazy'
...it should have been more traumatic and difficult like what happened in Rwanda



====================================================


Bill Clinton: 

Let's talk about Rwanda
...Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa
...per square mile
...although it's very small
...only nine million people


TRANSLATION: 
...similar to the Philippines

10% of the people were killed in a genocide in 1994
...that lasted approximately 90 days
...most of them were hacked to death with machetes
...and while they have been part of various spheres of influence
...that european powers had in Africa had over a long period of time


TRANSLATION: 
...similar to the Philippines

The two principal conflict groups
...the Hutus -the majority (Catholics)
...and the Tutsis -the minority (Muslims)
...had shared that little piece of land for 500 years

TRANSLATION: 
...similar to the Philippines



====================================================


Bill Clinton:

So after President Kagame led the military group
...that basically put an end to the fighting and the killing
...he wanted to create a country where Ethnicity was not the defining characteristic
...and they set up an interesting variation of Mister Mandela's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
...and said that 'if you ordered the killing of a whole lot of people, you should go before the War Crimes Tribunal.'
...'if you just participated as a foot-soldier in the slaughter, if you go back to your home village, tell the absolute truth about what you did to a village council, they will decide what service you must render to the community and for how long in return for total absolution. Then we'll begin again.' 


TRANSLATION:
...the Philippines needs a militant leadership
...to develop the Philippines as a country NOT focused on "FILIPINO PRIDE"
...and set up its own custom-made system that ABANDONS THE PAST 
...and FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE




====================================================


Bill Clinton: 

And they have relentlessly developed
...-keep in mind- their per capita income 4 years after the genocide was only 268USD a year
...less than a dollar a day
...they quadrupled their income in a decade

No other country in the world did it
...and they did it with this relentless focus on the future
...and they developed this amazing capacity to abandon the grievance

Let's just give you one example
...I've been doing a lot of work in Rwanda
...we helped them develop their health care system and
...I've worked with farmers there
...we've helped them double -in some cases triple their incomes 


TRANSLATION:
...the US can help the Philippines focus on the future
...but only at the cost of abandoning the grievances of the past




====================================================


Bill Clinton: 
 
In Rwanda
...every adult takes one saturday a month
...and cleans the streets
...as a civic activity
...to prove that poverty
...does not have to be associated with dirty streets
...slothy cities
...so you can go to Kigali, the national capital
...and you're shocked
...you're saying these people who are living in $1,000 a year
...or $1,100 a year, how in the world are they doing this?

Because every saturday, the whole country is out there cleaning the streets.

TRANSLATION:
...you can be poor, but still live with pride and dignity
...focus on civic duties and work with the state

=============================================

Filipinos need to stop acting like the Blacks and Jews of Southeast Asia
...with their "We were hurt and abused in the past, now give us money!" mentality

Notice how the American Clinton spoke in allusion and metaphor
...instead of being direct
...he was speaking in the language Filipinos are used to using
...indirectness


"He dodged the question by talking about Rwanda!"
"His is like a ninja-diplomat!"


Bill Clinton answered the question brilliantly
...at least for those who were intelligent enough to know what he was saying


====================================================

This is PART 1 of a 3 part post
...PART 2: Stuck on EDSA
...PART 3: Philippines' Worst Imports

Filipino Bad Habits that need to go...

Tardiness (being late)

...this is usually followed by an excuse

...if you don't do this yourself

...you know someone who does

...it shows complete disrespect for other peoples' time

...it shows that you are unprofessional in the workplace

...it shows that you are unreliable in person

If someone is late for a rendezvous with you, you should speak up

...instead of saying "ok lang un"

...unfortunately, many of you don't speak up

...because of 'nahihiya ako eh'

...if you do that, you both lose

If you are late yourself, apologize and don't offer excuses

...maybe we should see proper examples of this on TV as well

Try this experiment

...when you set up a rendezvous with a friend of yours

...make a tally of how many times these friends of yours are late

...to see if it's true or not

...mark how many times you have set up an appointment

...mark how many times your friend is late

If they are late, pay attention to what they say

...do they say sorry?

...or do they make excuses?

...or do they laugh and try to 'high five' you and say 'Filipino Time, pare!'

Out of how many times your friends are late

...mark how many times you actually 'spoke up'

...and mark how many times you say 'ok lang yun'

And do you ever notice that sometimes when they are late

...and when they know they are going to be late

...they will never tell you ahead of time that they are going to be late

...they will wait for hours AFTER the appointed time of rendezvous

...to tell you that they are late, or can't make it

...the amount of stupidity there just boggles the mind

I also have this theory that when 2 Filipinos set a meeting time

...one of them intentionally arrives late

...because they predict the other one will arrive late anyway

The perpetuation of idiocy.

Excuses (dahilan)

...this falls under (rationalization)

...apologize and take responsibility for your actions instead

...the more you acknowledge your mistakes

...the more you learn what it is about you that needs to change

...the more emotionally secure you become

...the more you set yourself up for positive personal growth

...when you make excuses, you don't acknowledge your mistakes

...you won't know what it is about you that needs to change

...you don't grow as a person and become insecure

Who does the archer blame when he misses the bullseye?

...the arrow?

...the bow?

...the target?

...the wind?

...or himself?

Praying (pagdarasal)

...most people pray because they want something from God

...this shows an inability to accomplish something on your own

...this shows a lack of self-confidence that you have to rely on 'God' to do it for you

When you accomplish something

...you don't take credit for it either

...you give 'God' credit

...and none for yourself

...you have no control over your fate

What you need to realize is that when you accomplish something

...it is because of YOU

...it is your hard work

...it is your diligence

...it is your own sweat and blood

...it was NOT because of God

...it was because of you

...take credit for your own success

...take charge of your own life

...take charge of your own destiny

If you don't accomplish something (when you lose or fail)

...you just say 'God did not will it'

...again, you just spared yourself accountability

...when in fact you did something wrong

...you just refused to acknowledge it

...find out what it is you did wrong

...don't make excuses (see 2nd entry on this list) and blame God

See here, prime example.

Your accomplishments belong to you

...not God

Your failures belong to you

...not God

Where is your individuality?

...where is your free will?

Indirectness

...why can't Filipinos just say what they mean

...and mean what they say?

Get to the point, people.

Americans

Boy 1: Can you turn up the volume please?

Boy 2: Sure.

Filipinos

Boy 1: Can you hear the TV?

Boy 2: Yeah, why?

Boy 1: I can't hear it.

Boy 2: Maybe you should have your ears checked.

Boy 1: Too expensive.

Boy 2: Maybe you should get a better job.

Boy 1: What's wrong with my job now?

Boy 2: I just thought you might not be earning enough.

Boy 1: I'm happy with my job though.

Boy 2: It just doesn't pay enough.

Boy 1: Do you think it should?

Boy 2: You tell me.

Filipinos also love to use the word "one" whenever they write something

...if you read Philippine newspapers you will see the word "one" innumerably

..."one has to..."

..."one needs..."

..."one does..."

This is a form of indirectness

...the writer does not want to address you (the reader) directly

...they don't want accountability for what they say

...so they say one instead of you, we, us, I...

Filipino writer says...

...I never said 'You need to do this and that.'

...I merely said 'One needs to do this and that.'

...not my fault

...I'm not accountable

...I'm not responsible

Indirectness is a very "female" attribute

...it's usually females who are indirect

I can understand when females are indirect

...but when I see males do the same thing

...oh, my, fucking, God

Not only is the Philippines a nation of Servants

...it's also a nation of Females

Get to the fucking point, people!

Gossip (chisme)

Whenever you hear someone say

...'Pssst, I heard...'

...ask them 'Did you really hear that from someone, or are you just starting gossip?'

...then follow up with 'Who did you hear it from?'

...then 'How reliable is your source of information?'

...then 'Would you be willing to put that on record?'

This is a form of indirectness

...if you (a Filipino) have a problem with someone, you will never confront that person directly

...instead you will resort to gossip and tell other people what your problem is with the other person

...or worse, you will tell other people that other people have problems with this person 

...when in fact, it's you and you alone who has a problem with them

...you just say it's other people who have problems with this person

...because you don't want the gossip to be traced back to you

...because you don't want to hold accountability

If you are gossiping about someone, you are essentially stabbing them in the back

...what does that say about you?

...it means you will never be viewed as someone to be friends with

If you have a problem with someone, don't gossip to other people about them

...talk to them and confront them in private (not in public)

...and no, you may not bring someone with you as an ally when you confront someone else

True friends stab you in the front. 

 

Gossip results in erosion of trust and morale

...it breaks bonds between people

 
Great minds discuss ideas

...average minds discuss events

...small minds discuss people

Eleanor Roosevelt 



It's been through my personal experience that even college-educated people gossip
...I guess you can be 'Educated' and have a 'small' mind
...how sad

A favor from God

I hate the way Filipinos view favors
...they will give you favors only if they know you can reciprocate
...sure it's practical, but where's the sincerity?

I personally know someone who I asked a favor from
...and she said "sure, I will intentionally arrive late for work JUST SO I CAN HELP YOU."
...I knew she wanted to help me out
...but she was making sure that I knew she was giving me a favor
...as if she was indirectly making me feel obliged to reciprocate in the future
...as if she was making my debt of gratitude to be heavier

Obviously it left a sour taste in my mouth.

You Filipinos should adapt my mentality when it comes to favors...


If the individual knows you granted them a favor
...you will most likely get a favor from them in return

If the individual does not know you granted them a favor
...you will receive a favor from God


Try doing this yourself
...what you feel in your chest when you grant these invisible favors
...it's called beauty, class, and virtue

This is God-like.

Of Adaptability and the Influence of TV

I noticed that Filipinos are a very malleable culture, and they easily adapt to new lifestyle influences so long as they are perceived to be 'better' than the current lifestyle they're practicing. They love watching Korean Telenovelas, and American Shows. They even create their own 'versions' of these shows.


Is it because they don't like their original culture?
...do they even have an original culture?


After all, it's been said that 'people who openly practice and praise another culture secretly disdain their own.' In whatever way you look at it one thing is constant; they easily adapt to something that betters their way of life. What that 'better' factor simply needs to do is present itself. And what better way to present itself than through the media; more specifically, television?


What needs to be done is to acknowledge that eagerness to adapt and use it to 'better' the culture. Something I noticed when watching tv is the proliferation of these syrupy Love Telenovelas.
...they're nothing more than exercises in contrivance


The recurring themes are:
...the search for my one and only true love
...the difficult circumstances surrounding the love
...the rich and the poor
...chivalry and treachery

Then there are the comedies...
Then there is the news...

It's just all three of these going on and on and on in an endless cycle
...pay attention to the emotions that these shows incite
...happiness, sadness, love, negativity

Those are the only 4 emotions that I've noticed Filipinos seem to have in real life.

I propose a change
...or at the very least 'additions' to these redundant emotions and/or themes/concepts
...and here they are:

1. Ambition
...have shows that promote ambition
...to be the best person they can be
...in whatever field they choose to be the best in

2. Individuality
...of people who find ways to be different, to be unique
...finding / creating their own path to success and greatness
...breaking free from 'groups'

3. Leadership
...we already know Filipinos love to be servants
...show them that they can be leaders too

4. Admission of Mistakes
...show people who admit to their mistakes
...and show that it is an integral part of growth as an individual
...the more mistakes you admit to, the better you are setting yourself up so far as personal growth

5. To Not Take Things Personally
...an insecure person will take criticisms personally and become emotional
...a secure person takes criticisms as opportunities to become better

Anyone else have ideas?

It needs to be shown to Filipinos on TV of what kind of individuals they can be
...and here's to hoping they'll follow suit in real life

*fingers crossed*

Filipinos Vs. Americans

Americans are emotionally secure
...they are the first ones to make fun of themselves
...so they'll know what it is about them that needs to change
...so they'll know what stereotypes about them they can avoid 
...they welcome criticism

Filipinos are emotionally insecure
...they take everything personally
...they can't take a joke at their expense
...and they give violently emotional reactions
...they hate criticism

Filipino-Americans (the ones who were born in the US)
...make fun of Philipinos (who were born in the Phil)
...make fun of their accents
...because the Fil-Ams recognize this as something that Philipinos need to change about themselves

Philipinos (being insecure and having inferiority complexes)
...wind up not developing American accents
...because they only mingle amongst other Philipinos (identification)
...and not white Americans or other races
...because they view themselves as inferior to them

Philipinos then make excuses (rationalization)
...we can't mingle with the Americans because we have accents
...we can't mingle with the Americans because they are superior to us
...we will just mingle amongst each other and hold each others' hands
...we will just mingle in groups because the more of us there are, the more powerful we are
...Philipinos have no sense of individuality or identity
...Philipinos are forever in groups

See the Top 7 Psychological Defense Mechanisms
...and see how many of them Philipinos have

Fil-Ams are taught to be confident leaders (American mentality)
...to show confidence and be proud of their abilities
...never settle for 'average'
...they think "I want to stand out and make a name for myself!"

Philipinos are taught to be humble servants (Philippine mentality)
...to recede in the background 
...to give up and surrender to their circumstances
...they think "Which groups can I join?"

As a result of this
...Philipinos find Fil-Ams to be arrogant
...Fil-Ams find Philipinos to be second class citizens
...this is why these two 'groups' don't get along so well

It's as if Philipinos want Fil-Ams to act inferior
...down to their level
...that's not the way they were brought up
...if you don't want to be treated like a slave, don't act like one, idiot
...simple enough?

Why do Philipinos want Fil-Ams to act humble? (down to their level)
...para maka-diskarte kayo?
...para maka-pulitiko kayo?
...shameless politicking, blech, I don't like it

Suck ups...

Do not mistrust friendly gestures, but notice them.

Register any change in the emotional temperature:

...unusual chumminess
...a new desire to exchange confidences
...excessive praise of you to third parties
...the desire for an alliance that may make more sense for the other person than for you

Trust your instincts: if someone's behavior is suspicious, it probably is.

It may turn out to be benign
...but in the meantime it is best to be on your guard

The Truth About Lying & Filipinos

1. Lying to Save Face

What it sounds like: “Gosh, I never got the shower invitation!” “Sorry I’m late, but there was a huge pileup on the freeway.”

Why people do it: For self-preservation. While it may be instinctual, people who frequently cover up innocent errors may start to feel as if they have permission to be irresponsible. What’s more, it can become grueling for them to keep track of those deceptions. (“Now, why did I tell her I couldn’t cochair that event?”) Eventually those lies hinder people from having close connections, says Smith. “Of course, there are relationships in which it doesn’t matter as much,” he says.

How you can avoid it: 

• Think long-term. When you’re tempted to be less than truthful, consider your ultimate goal: to have a happy marriage, say, or a solid friendship. Then, when torn between fact and fiction, ask yourself, “Which will put me closer to my goal?” Usually the choice is clear.
• Keep it simple. Most of the time, a short apology is all that’s needed, and you can omit some details without sacrificing the truth. Something like “Sorry that I didn’t call you back sooner” is usually sufficient and effective.

2. Lying to Shift Blame

What it sounds like: “It’s my boss’s decision, not mine.” “My husband never told me you called.”

Why people do it: “To effectively give away power and control,” says Smith. “When done habitually, this can diminish a person’s ability to deal with life’s bigger problems.” When someone constantly saddles other people with his responsibilities, others can grow resentful of carrying this burden. Also, eternally passing the buck is downright exhausting. The deceiver keeps fielding requests but is only postponing the inevitable. Eventually the issue will have to be dealt with.

How you can avoid it: 

• Dig deep. In some cases, blame shifting can signal difficulty with accepting responsibility for your actions, says Joseph S. Weiner, chief of consultation psychiatry at North Shore University Hospital, in Manhasset, New York. Maybe you were criticized for making mistakes as a child, for example, and so now you’re afraid to own up because of what other people may think of you. Once you realize this is a behavior that can be changed, however, you can start to regain the power you may feel you don’t have.
• Flip it around. Before using a colleague or a loved one as a decoy in a minor deception, think of how the other person would feel in the same scenario. If the deception puts other people in an unfavorable light, it’s best to leave them out of it.

 

3. Lying to Avoid Confrontation

What it sounds like: “That’s a wonderful idea, Mom. I’ll make sure to get to the airport three hours before my flight.” “You’re doing a great job, but we can’t afford a housekeeper anymore.”

Why people do it: A believable excuse may help someone avoid an uncomfortable talk or keep that person from feeling guilty. But relying on nonconfrontation too often eventually does relationships―both personal and professional―a disservice. With people to whom one is deeply tied, it’s important to remember that “closeness is not always pleasant, and that interpersonal dealings, by their very nature, have highs and lows,” says Smith. “When you try to avoid the lows at all cost, it can have an overall deadening effect on these connections.” Even if the person on the receiving end of a lie isn’t closely tied to the fibber, the one deceiving still has to keep track of―and live by―those lies. What’s more, she may have to deal with the consequences of the lie anyway (for example, if the housekeeper finds out someone else was hired in her place).

How you can avoid it: 

• Consider the options. Before you tell a fib, it helps to make a list of all the ways you could handle the situation―from delivering a total fairy tale to telling the stark truth. If, after thinking it through, you still decide a fabrication is the best choice, “it may signal that you don’t value having an honest relationship, and that in itself is worth pondering more,” says Marlene Chism, a relationship expert in Springfield, Missouri, and the author of Success Is a Given . On the other hand, maybe there is an option that will allow you to tell the truth but that will still provide your desired outcome.
• Pair it with the positive. Look for the bright, true spot buried within the lie. Saying to your mother, “Your ideas are always appreciated―I called that tutor you recommended last week!―but this time I just don’t agree,” makes the truth easier to swallow for both of you.

4. Lying to Get One’s Way

 

What it sounds like: “I won’t be at work today. I caught that bug that’s going around.” “Officer, my speedometer must be broken.”

Why people do it: For personal gain. But when a lie like this is uncovered, the recipient is unlikely to be charitable. And the more hurtful the lie is to the person on the receiving end, the less it’s likely to be forgiven. “When getting what a person wants drives his every word and action, he will not earn people’s trust or love,” says Weiner.

How you can avoid it: 

• Stop justifying. Maybe you think you deserved that day off. Or you figured it was late and there was no one on the road when you were speeding. While both rationalizations may be true, “that doesn’t make the lie any more acceptable in the end,” says Smith. If you have to convince yourself the lie is OK, chances are it’s not.
• Think of the alternative. Consider if honesty could still bring about a positive result. Example: “I know I don’t have any vacation left, but I’d be willing to come in Saturday or stay late every day next week if I could have Friday off.” Or admit to the police officer that you lost your concentration going down the hill and apologize. That may result in a warning instead of a ticket. You never really know until you try.

 

5. Lying to Be Nice

 

What it sounds like: “That dress looks fantastic on you.” “This is the best meat loaf I’ve ever tasted.”

Why people do it: In some cases, the little white lie is altruistic, says Smith, but when used excessively, it can make interactions with people less authentic. At its worst, others may feel that a person isn’t being genuine or trustworthy.

How you can avoid it: 

• Walk in the other person’s shoes. People often underestimate the information that others can tolerate and even benefit from, particularly when the words are said out of friendship, says Weiner. For example, you would generally want someone to mention it if you had a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth, if your blouse had a stain, or if your pot roast could use a pinch of salt.
• Tone it down. If you feel that a certain amount of truth stretching is a vital social lubricant, the best thing to do is to avoid gushing. “That’s a great color on you” is a lot more plausible than “That’s the most stunning sweater I have ever seen in my entire life.”
• Track it. Keeping a tally of the tales you tell for a day or a week can help you distinguish between the instances where being truthful matters and where it doesn’t. Maybe you didn’t need to tell the supermarket checkout gal that you loved her (hideous) earrings. But it made you feel better to say it, plus you got a pleasant reaction from her. Most experts say there’s no huge harm in that.

6. Lying to Make Oneself Feel Better

 

What it sounds like: “Eating my kids’ French fries doesn’t count.” “I’ll charge this stuff now because I’m going to pay off the credit-card bill as soon as I get my bonus.” “I never watch television.”

Why people do it: To reassure themselves. But when people start to believe their self-deceptions, it can snowball, which is especially dangerous. A clean-your-plate habit can lead to an extra 10 pounds. One shopping spree can trigger can’t-pay-the-mortgage debt. And while denying hours spent in front of the TV isn’t a crime, it might cause a person to wonder where all her time is going―or get busted humming the Law & Order theme song.

How you can avoid it: 

• Plan honesty ahead. Because self-deception can become almost automatic, “stopping isn’t simply a matter of just saying in the moment, ‘Hey, should I lie to myself right now?’” says Smith. Instead, pledging to face reality in the situations where you’re most likely to deceive yourself is a smarter tactic.
• Keep your goals in sight. Whatever you want to accomplish, from sticking to a healthy diet to keeping your bank account in the black to cutting down on those television marathons, lying about what’s really going on puts you one step farther from that objective. Instead, it’s a good idea to visualize, in full detail, what it will look, feel, sound, smell, or taste like when you attain your goal. “Painting a detailed picture in your mind will help you maintain your motivation, even in the face of temptation to sabotage yourself with deception,” says Weiner.
• Help others be accountable. When people who tend to deceive themselves spend too much time with frequent fibbers or even others who tolerate that type of mendacity, their destructive habits won’t be challenged or corrected. In the most serious situations, where lying is causing someone serious damage, it helps to be a particularly truth-conscious friend and lend support as well as a gentle, watchful eye. 

Taken from here.


How many Filipinos do you know fall under one or more of these categories?

A Nation of Servants

Leaders / Masters
...make mistakes and learn from them
...accept accountability for their words (I will do this)
...accept responsibility for their actions (I have no excuse)
...question authority
...blaze a path


Servants / Slaves
...fear mistakes and avoid them
...avoid responsibility for their actions (excuses)
...avoid accountability for their words (indirectness)
...follow authority (honor the father and thy mother)
...follow a path

Where do you fit, dear Filipino?

If you've been to the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi)
...you'll notice that Filipinos are usually the ones doing the servant jobs
...customer service reps at mall stores
...service crew at fast food joints
...maids galore
...hotel staff

I wonder what it's like in other countries
...I barely saw any Filipinos in Germany
...my German friends told me they're mostly nurses and seamen
...barely any Filipinos in Switzerland
...mostly tourists and the odd Filipina who 'lucked out' and got married by a Swiss
...legion of nurses in the USA
...legion of caretakers in the UK

The global conciousness still associate the word Filipina with 'wife', 'servant', 'nurse', and 'maid'
...good or bad?
...do you think that needs to change?
...how?

Would this servant mentality that Filipinos have be the reason why merchants love going to the Philippines and enslaving the people
...under the guise of 'giving them opportunities to make a living' ??
...surely there's no shortage of servants to enslave

What's the National Animal?
...the water buffalo, right?
...slave

Poisonous words...

1. Nahihiya ako eh...
...if you don't ask, the answer is always no
...this is usually a 'servant' point of view

2. May bukas pa...
...no, there isn't
...this is just an excuse to procrastinate
...you were either late
...or you didn't try hard enough to achieve something

3. Eh kasi...
...it's the most poisonous phrase of all
...the precursor to an excuse
...take more responsibility for your actions
..."Mahirap na ang buhay" falls under this

4. Daw
...this is gossip
...you're either starting a vicious lie
...or repeating gossip of which you have no proof
...you don't want to take accountability for what you're saying that's why you say this
...'I'm just repeating what someone else said'
...you have no original opinion or original thought
...so you use someone else's

5. Ok lang yun...
...whenever you say this phrase, you're telling the recipient that 'it's ok for you to do it again'

6. Po and Opo
...it conditions children to submit to authority
...priming them up to be submissive servants in the future
...you're supposed to question authority, not blindingly follow them

Filipinos and Groupthink

Take for example the following terms:

...People Power
...sindikato
...gangs (akyat-bahay, salisi, waray waray...)
...family (Lopezes, Tans, Aquinos...)
...dance troups (Jabbawokeez...)
...political parties (PMP, LP, NP...)
...Kapamilya, Kapuso...

Labelling also falls under 'Groupthink'
...when you go to other countries, listen to how Filipinos describe people
...they describe them using labels according to their race
...Filipinos would never describe individuals, they would only describe groups

In the UAE Filipinos describe people as follows:
...Pakistanis = mga Patak
...Indians = mga Pana

In the US Filipinos describe people as follows:
...Black people = mga Egot
...Mexicans = mga Eme

Even in the Philippines Filipinos lump each other into groups:
...yung mga Intsik na yun
...yung mga Bumbay na yun
...yung mga Koreano na yun
...yung mga Espanol na yun
...yung mga Amerikano na yun
...yung mga Muslim na yun

Filipinos' favorite games are usually played in groups
...basketball
...volleyball
...DotA
...Counter Strike
...Starcraft

And they usually say these things with an 'us versus them' mentality
...take note of the words us and them
...they are both groups 

To join a group is, in essence, to surrender your individuality
...you wind up defining yourself according to the group


Which one do you hear all the time:
...The Filipino is...
...Filipinos are...

That's right, because there is no such thing as a Filipino
...there are only Filipinos

Whenever you hear negative things being said towards Filipinos do you feel hurt?
...if so, you suffer from group think
...and you have not developed a sense of individuality

Groups are usually followers, servants, sheep, slaves...
Individuals are usually leaders, masters, movers, and shakers...
...which do you prefer, my dear Filipinos?


What you -my dear Filipino- need to realize is that being Filipino is only a SMALL PART of who you are as an INDIVIDUAL
...you need to create an identity that is SEPARATE from being Filipino
...or if you prefer, you can create an identity that has absolutely nothing to do with being Filipino

.
.
.

Here you go...

The Top 10 Filipino Commandments

1. Thou shall not admit fault.

2. Thou shall always make excuses.

3. Thou shall not raise thy armpits in the presence of others.

4. Thou shall only give favors if they can be reciprocated in the future.

5. Thou shall not give a direct answer.

6. Thou shall share your problems with everyone.

7. Thou shall only discuss issues pertaining to people or negativity.

8. Thou shall never arrive on time.

9. Thou shall always be part of a group.

10.  Thou shall not use thy head to make decisions, only use thy heart.