Freeing one's self from the #Philippines' victim culture requires a balance between humility and assertiveness

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And when somebody tries to free himself of that mentality, a few would call him names "pasiklab" "mayabang", etc. The worse that I heard from an elder is "know your place, son." (lumugar ka!).

I know humility is an important virtue. So is being assertive. I think they are equally important because the first will make one respect others and their authority and the second will give self-respect that even the authorities should acknowledge and recognize. The problem with the Filipinos that I know is they have incorrectly applied the first and almost have none of the second. They have mistaken humility to being passive and submissive even if it will cost them too much.

I remember the movie "A Bug's Life." The grasshoppers made the ants believe that they are worthless, too small to fight back the hoppers hence they should serve them. I can see most Filipinos in those ants and they're rejoicing when the circus performers arrived and mistaken them for heroes. I also saw their unity against the grasshoppers at the times the Filipinos decide to go extra-constitutional and get rid of their leaders. But unlike the ants, I wish the Filipinos will face and act on their problems sooner with minimal or no help from the "heroes."

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This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion!
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2015/06/pinoy-victim-mentality-one-philippines-greatest-obstacles/#comment-1205863

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