Previously I wrote about my introduction to the book “Why We Want You To Be Rich,” written by very rich guys, Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki. I believe in the wisdom of their thoughts and, in reflection, took stock of what we have and what we are and the difficulties we face which, if not addressed frontally, will make “getting rich” just a dream.
I am a Filipino and am writing in the Filipino context. Though we share a lot of values with our Asian neighbors, we have distinct proclivities resulting to our being left behind, way, way behind by them in personal and national wealth and well-being. Hoping against hope, may these wisdoms of financial education from the book touch the hearts and minds of some of my people, spurring them to “grab the bull by the horns.”
Religion:
To start with, we are the only Christian country in Asia. This has imbued the Filipinos with a deep sense of faith through prayers. Positively, it is good to believe in a Supreme Being. Negatively, most of us expect Him to provide solutions to all our woes and cares in the world, including our “daily bread.” A lot of us pray more than work, unmindful that if we don’t move our butts, no bread shall come. There are a lot of things God, with all His power, won’t or can’t do.
Foreign influences:
We are the only country in Asia colonized so many times over by so many countries. More than 400 years by the Spaniards, 20 or so years by the Americans, 5 years by the Japanese, a few hours stay by the Dutch and Germans, forever by the Chinese and, lately, invaded by the Koreans.
Regretfully, the “blessed are the poor” dogma of Spain’s Catholicism and the sense of dependency created by the Americans prove stronger than the entrepreneurial spirit of the Chinese and Japanese resulting to a national psyche of begging.
The Filipino expects so much in life. He just wants others to give all these things to him – gift-wrapped and delivered.
The above circumstances afflicted the Filipino with the “poor syndrome”. We are poor because we think, act and speak poor. A lot of us think that being poor is not a financial disaster but a right and a privilege. A right to violate laws in a lot of circumstances, foremost of which, is to erect a shanty in any vacant lot, never to move out come hellfire and high water. Never mind if the lot does not belong to him. He is poor, ergo, has the right to pitch his hut wherever and whenever he sees fit.
As a privilege, the Filipino expects the government or somebody else, NGOs (non-government institution) for example, to take care of his needs. A good example is pregnancy. My daughter, an OB Gyne, bristles at women begging for dole outs during and after delivery. She is irritated because the process of conception to delivery is a 9 month affair, allowing the patient with enough time to prepare, not an impromptu performance.
I’m sure a lot of Filipinos will be furious at this negativism. I take this as an exorcism. Unless we bring out into the fore the ills that plague us, and do something about them, we shall be relegated into perpetual poverty.
That’s grabbing the bull by the horns.
Tags: bull, exorcism, filipino, government, horns, negativism, poverty
