Psychoanalysing the #Filipino character
To explore the Filipino mind is a journey on the dark side which would have kept freud busy and amused.
The Filipino psyche predominantly revolves around a range of defence mechanisms developed as a means of coping with day to day struggles, low self-esteem, and external criticism.
The end result is a psyche which doesn’t want to hear painful truths, and will only believe what it wants to hear, however absurd/illogical. A fantasy world of achievement compensating for the stark reality of failure, and like a walter mitty character, Filipinos become legends in their own mind splitting reality and fantasy to such a point the two become fused and/or confused.
In such a world guilt and shame have been banished, for they would burst the balloons of pride and ego which have been lifted so high and remain the symbols of hope in a barren life
It overcompensates through hubristic pride, narcissism, a collective mentality, a strong need to belong and to associate with anything/one regarded as successful – which equates with money rather than with intellect or contribution, and without a strong moral compass, despite the apparent grip of religion, can regard crooks with money as demi-gods ( even when it is their money which has been stolen!. Very perverse)
It may also partly answer [the] question about intellect as a liability, since those with intellect who challenge collective thought are a perceived threat to the group, and without possessing the ability or rational to attack/debate the message, their only choice is to attack the messenger.
In the Philippines, stupidity is not a hindrance in politics, crime pays, and fantasy rules.
Not for the introverted,pessimistic and cynical Filipino.
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