Most Filipinos are anti-elitist. A good proportion of the Philippine population would prefer that they be seen as being one with the common tao rather than be seen as one of the elites. Indeed it is a land full of contradictions. This mentality is inconsistent with the behavior exhibited by a people who also routinely act like The Talented Mr Ripley (read: social climbers) — those who want to see and be seen with the rich. Case in point is Senator Manny Villar who kept emphasizing during the presidential election (without success) that he was once as poor as a pauper. Let’s not forget to mention Erap Estrada whose slogan “Erap para sa Mahirap” in 1998 so resonated with the masses that he almost won the presidency again in the last election. Now, the incumbent President, Noynoy Aquino is so overcompensating for being a member of the Philippine oligarchy by trying so hard to project an image of being just your “average guy” next door.
Another case in point is a recent experience I had as a blogger here at AntiPinoy.com. A commenter in my previous blog labelled me snobbish for my preference for using the English language over Tagalog. To be precise, most Filipinos who misguidedly think that the use of Tagalog is a reflection of Filipino pride and nationalism seem to think this way. They actually believe that those who prefer to use the English language more are being elitist and unpatriotic. I find this mentality rather disturbing and backward-thinking, considering that Tagalog is not the only language being used by Filipinos across the Philippines, and despite me having explicitly stated that the overall advantage of being proficient in English far outweighs that of being proficient in Tagalog. But this blog is not about which language is more beneficial anymore. This is about the Filipino people’s penchant for being anti-elite and suckers for populist rhetoric.
Initially, I didn’t know what to make of this supposed insult thrown at me for everyone to read. Now that I have thought about it more, I actually feel flattered that someone would think of me as a nerd and actually say “If your type would be leading the country, only nerds and keyboard-potatoes like you can find inspiration in your kind of mentality.” Who would have thought that someone would think that I can actually serve as an inspiration for intellectuals? He made me laugh, really. This just proves how small-minded some Filipinos are and how a discussion can easily threaten them when they deem the subject too out of their depth.
To be honest, every time I read something about people like Steve Jobs introducing his new Apple product or Bill Gates doing so much for the advancement of technology and humanity, I feel so damn insignificant. I mean, there is no way I can possibly achieve in my lifetime what those two have achieved in half of theirs. They are the real inspiration for nerds and not someone like me. A lot of people would even claim that if they were only half as talented as Steve or Bill, they could still be world-renowned innovators. Steve and Bill’s achievements are something to aspire for, definitely.
This brings me to the question: What’s with all the anti-elitist sentiment that Filipinos are fond of wallowing in? It is again a misguided notion that being a member of the elite is a bad thing. It is actually this kind of victim mentality that keeps us from moving forward.
First, let us define the word elitism. According to sources found on the Net, “elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who supposedly form an elite — a select group of people with, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight or those who view their own views as so; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern”. They say that the personal characteristics of those considered to be a member of the elite include: “rigorous study of, or great accomplishment within, a particular field; a long track record of competence in a demanding field; an extensive history of dedication and effort in service to a specific discipline (e.g., medicine or law) or a high degree of accomplishment, training or wisdom within a given field”.
Based on the definition given above, I am hardly fit to lead a nation let alone any group of nerds as claimed by that commenter, and if we go by the definition, neither is P.Noy Aquino qualified to lead a nation of 100 million Filipinos. Let’s face it, it has been a well-documented fact that P.Noy does not have “extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom” to “render” him “especially fit to govern” because he does not have any “great accomplishment within, a particular field; a long track record of competence in a demanding field; an extensive history of dedication and effort in service to a specific discipline (e.g., medicine or law) or a high degree of accomplishment, training or wisdom within a given field.” What P.Noy does have which is also a well-documented fact, is membership in one of the wealthiest families in the country — and that’s about that.
Unfortunately, even if P.Noy is a member of the privileged few, his is a situation in “which a group of people claiming to possess high abilities or simply an in-group or cadre grant themselves extra privileges at the expense of others.” This form of elitism can actually be described as discrimination and such elitism has social and psychological consequences as evident in what has been happening in the last few decades since the late former president, Cory Aquino came to power. Unbeknownst to a lot of Filipinos, the Philippine oligarchies who have been in power since 1986 actually endorse a form of elitism that excludes a large number of people from positions of privilege or power. That means they only give favors to those who are in their inner circle or those who support their cause. This is the kind of elitist attitude the average Juan de Cruz should be wary about and be resentful of because P.Noy is not truly an elite in the sense that, he is not an expert of anything but rather, just privileged enough to be voted into power. As such, he is actually not in touch with the poor, which is precisely the reason why he does not have a clue as to how to elevate the country from poverty.
In defense of the true elites
I don’t know about you but if I ever have to undergo brain or heart surgery, I want the best surgeons to perform the operation. Who in their right mind would want to see a quack doctor to cure their disease?
If the Taliban or any member of the Al Qaeda ever kidnaps me, I can already picture Navy-Seals-like commandos barging in through the doors of the Taliban hideout where they are keeping me and rescue me safely. Why would I want the Philippine National Police (PNP) undergoing the rescue operation? They will just bungle the operation and I might end up in a bag on the way to the morgue.
If I ever have to hire a lawyer to counter a libel case, I want someone who was a bar topnotcher and who wins most of his court cases. And if I ever have to be in front of a judge, I will pray that it be someone who was also a bar top notcher, won most of his cases, and is compassionate. Why would I want to hire a two bit lawyer who was average in the bar exam and who only settled his cased out of court? I would definitely end up losing my case, land in jail and pay a fine.
It should follow that if I ever have to vote for a president of my country…well, I will never vote for someone as mediocre as P.Noy. Life is too short to give my trust to people like him who waste people’s time learning on the job while millions go to bed hungry every night.
I don’t know about you but every time I meet someone new, I have to be careful about mentioning the school where I graduated. Mentioning it seems to elicit a few predictable responses like “naks naman ah…” and then I can tell that the person suddenly becomes overcome with this preconceived notion of how I am like. No, I didn’t go to that school you are thinking of. That’s the thing; just mention an exclusive school to a fellow Filipino who went to another school which is considered to have a less than average standard from your own school and you will find yourself labelled as a snob or an elitist even if you haven’t done much to deserve being called such. It is indeed another form of what is called reverse discrimination.
Frankly, I have met some of the kindest and most generous (also some of the cruellest and selfish) people in my school. I’ve also met some of the kindest and most generous (also some of the cruellest and selfish) people from other schools. What I’m trying to say is that, Filipinos should stop labelling people they hardly know and judge everyone they meet on their merits.
If someone considered me snobbish and elitist for choosing excellence over mediocrity, I would definitely take it as a compliment because my definition of an elite person is someone who is the best of the best and not someone who is just a member of the privileged group. The two should not be confused as one and the same. The former group being good and beneficial to society while the latter just takes advantage of the underprivileged for their own benefit. They also enjoy a relatively large degree of control over a society’s means of production, which includes those who gain their position due to socioeconomic means and not personal achievement (read: the Philippine oligarchy).
If I have to choose between talking to someone who knows what he or she is talking about or someone who just pretends to be in the know, I would definitely choose the former. How I wish the country could have more of them though because it is really nice to have a conversation with someone who understands what you are saying and someone you can actually learn from as opposed to having a discussion with people who talk like they actually know what they are talking about when in reality they’d much prefer to just keep the conversation going around in circles.
Being anti-elitist is what’s preventing our country from progressing. It’s what gets actors, athletes, singers or anyone from the entertainment industry and anyone with a popular name like Aquino getting voted into public office even if they don’t have any “extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom that render them especially fit to govern.”
Comments
Well said.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Thanks silvercrest
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Found this while browsing PEX, “Are Filipinos STUPID voters?” Nagcomment din si Manong benign0. If you are a member of PEX get people to shut these emo PEXERs in denial!
http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126176
An emo poster even commented that people who think Pinoy voters are stupid are elitist! Hahaha.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Thanks for the link ArticleRequest
Gosh, that is an old thread on PEX. I can’t believe you found it and what’s even more worrying is that the topic is still so relevant today. Nothing has changed in the way Filipinos vote for their leaders even after Erap’s stint behind bars.
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oh no! this whole post comes from a misunderstanding of the word snobbish.
snobbery is NOT elitism!
mikers, NEVER USED THE WORD ELITISM, or equated it to the word that he used, which is “snobbish”.
his money quote is : “Generally, the article is simply snobbish, cynical, and just an exercise of masturbating one’s intellectual vanity. A SONA in Tagalog is unintellectual? English is intellectual? “
he is saying that an opinion that english is NECESSARILY intellectual is in fact snobbery.
what is snobbery?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/snob
” One who tends to patronize, rebuff, or ignore people regarded as social inferiors and imitate, admire, or seek association with people regarded as social superiors.
2. One who affects an offensive air of self-satisfied superiority in matters of taste or intellect.”
what is elitism (which btw is a word he NEVER USES!)? its a more complex idea, which may be the reason u dont know what it means:
from wiki: “Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who supposedly form an elite — a select group of people with, intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most weight or those who view their own views as so; whose views and/or actions are most likely to be constructive to society as a whole; or whose extraordinary skills, abilities or wisdom render them especially fit to govern.[1]“
Equating “speaking english” to intelligence/ability is snobbery, not elitism. there is NO REASON that a language is better or worse, or that anyone who speaks it is dumber than others, or more fit to lead.
ilda, ur main argument is the philstar link. let me quote:
“Three quarters of the country’s employers turn down job applicants with poor English, according to one of the country’s leading job search sites.”
note: its POOR ENGLISH. POOR ENGLISH is not equal to SPEAKING TAGALOG. the true problem is not tagalog, but poor english.
it is poor english that we should struggle against. as an elitist (are you?) you should espouse excellence in EVERYTHING, including whatever language u fancy.
as usual, its logic and understanding that is missing from ur writing, ilda.
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benign0 Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
@ GabbyD. The only thing shrinking in comparison to the bigger picture here is your mind, dude.
You are focusing on the small world of the semantic difference between “snobbery” and “elitism” when there is a whole world of conceptual parallelism between the two that this article explores.
You merely use your googling skills to compensate for the smallness of your conceptual faculties.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Oh no, Gabbyd!
Now everyone knows that your main purpose in the blogosphere is to contradict even if you don’t have much of a point!
Just read the article again because it is so obvious you did not comprehend it. Frankly, you are just a time waster.
Do me a favour will ya? Have nice day!
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
@GabbyD
Just to answer this question:
The answer to that depends on what is your understanding of the word “elite.” If you still think that an elite is someone who has a truckload of cash and if you are asking if I have a truckload of cash, well then, that’s for me to know and for you to find out.
If you are referring to the correct definition of the word “elite” which is someone who has “great accomplishment within, a particular field; a long track record of competence in a demanding field; an extensive history of dedication and effort in service to a specific discipline (e.g., medicine or law) or a high degree of accomplishment, training or wisdom within a given field,” – that’s still for me to know and for you to find out. However, based on your comments here and your limited comprehension skills, you are already of the opinion that I am not an elite. So there you go, it’s whatever makes you happy.
As to your other assertions, just keep referring back to the articles and the comment thread to enlighten you.
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Filipinos are definitely PRO-ELITIST. They want to gang-bang with the elite. They adore elites. They want their picture taken with the elite, then show-off in their Friendster “Lookit, who I snucked with!” kind-of-thing. Filipinos love to shotgun-ride with the elite. Filipinos follow-tweet the elites to know what they are thinking and doing and make humbug to their barkadas what these elites are doing to give an appearance of the “in-the-know”.
“… oh, you know who was on my flight to Aparri? Kris Aquino … ” How they love the elite.
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Parallax Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:53 am
perhaps it’s a manifestation of the age old laziness of the pinoy to try and become elite, an achiever, a product of real work. instead, pinoys embrace stagnation, and a really weird sense of belonging in what amounts to a very large but quite pathetic group of people who find heaven in wowowee. the affinity towards this anti-elitist tendency seems overwhelming that pinoys fall into it by default, and that might explain why few pinoys ever get to truly achieve anything of real value while the rest go “yehey i’m pinoy too! i’m da best! don’t judge me”
it’s always easier for pinoys to “be cool by association.”
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ulong pare Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
… daaang
@indio c1521… i am proud to be an elitist/burgis/jeproks/amboy/unggoy/flipflams… inggit ka lang…
… never in my (young) life been exposed to diesel fumes, dusty roads, smelly low life pulubis, hampas-lupa, yucky flip food, mosquitoes y ipis…. oooh…. my hair stand on one end… buti na lang pubic is trimmed…
… i’m only used to chauffer-driven coaches and traysikads, erkon spaces, and magnificent establishments, boutiques, exclusive shopping malls and bangketas… i played polos with the royalties, sailing – actually, i race with the louis vuitton race club… and party with the sheiks, oil barons, and amoy kambings…
… i speak ‘sang tambaks na languages… from ferpeckt country clubbed englitzched to bisdaks’ oh my god omigod plis dont stop kuya sexy gurl language of love…
… i could go on and on… pero, baka mamatay ka sa inggit… kasalanan ko pa…
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ChinoF Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Pro-elitist in the sense that you imply, Indolent Indo, yeah. They want to rub elbows with the elite.
But they’re also anti-elitist in this sense: because they don’t want to work smart and become one of these elite, having enough money and enjoying intellectual pursuits – the real kind of elite for me. They just want to live on dole-outs from the elite. They believe the elite is responsible for them… and not them being responsible for themselves.
Teodoro Agoncillo was one of the people responsible for a wrong idea about the elite. He had a wrong idea: that true Filipino culture is the primitivist, bahay kubo, eating with your hands and dressing shabbily culture. Basically, peasant culture. That was wrong. Our Filipino culture has a lot of foreign influences that turned out well, like some stone houses in Bataan, barong and terno, some elite Spanish influences, delicadeza and palabra de honor values. Thus, Agoncillo promoted hatred of the elite culture which made more Filipinos think backwardly.
Look at cuisine, clothing, design ideals and art of other countries. Like French cuisine, Italian cuisine, Chinese dress and cuisine, etc. They are the cultural items of the elite, not the poor class. That’s what we should base our national identity on – not on the peasant culture.
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ulong pare Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
… daaang
@chinof… teka… teka… teka.. naman…
… ” bahay-kubo” >>> winter season, i spend my time in a “bahay kubo” somewhere in the orient… doon sa looban, batanggas to be exact… the touristst/foreignes pay top dollars for the same privilege… we look for nice and quiet time… away from the rat race…
… “eating with your hands”… in the island of ilocanos oooopsie hawaii, it’s called “luau”… it’s not cheap either… millionaires, my pipol, enjoy it…
… “dressing shabbily” … only (flip) social climbers do that… we, millionaires (emphasis on millions), are comfortable nekkid…somewhere in the orient…
… when i look back to all of that so called “luxuries”, i am no better than a squat living in the esteros… (which actually, i am… sikreto ko yan)
… a hearty sinigang, pritong tilapia, pot of rice, kalamansi juice to wash down, a cold san mig on the side, and most of all, company of laughters… now that’s priceless…
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ChinoF Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Gandang business pala ng resort a. Lalo na nekked resort. Hmmmm…. :p
Jay Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
@ChinoF
Ever heard of the term Keeping up with the Jones’? The Philippine elite is pretty much one giant JONES society compared to the real global elites. I think I took the comparison made in AP that most of the affluent in the Philippines are pretty much middle class in western nations. And the rest of the pinoy poverty want to rub elbows with them but as you say, don’t want to make the effort to really be above that level.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 10:50 pm
@Indolent
Just to be clear, most Filipinos adore people with money or those born into privilege (hence, your assertion that Pinoys love being photographed with the rich) but they despise those they deem to be smarter than them, the elite (hence, they always vote for someone who they perceive is not a threat to their intelligence).
Please do not confuse people’s adoration for the rich with that of being pro-elite. There is a difference as I have explained in the article. Pinoys tend to contradict themselves that’s why it’s natural for you to assume that they are pro-elite. The correct term for what you are describing is called social climbers.
To quote myself again:
and this:
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Magnificent, Ilda. How I wish the lesser minds will awaken from their slumber…
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Thanks Aegis-Judex
I don’t think they are going to wake up from their slumber anytime soon. They don’t even want to read or hear any word we are trying to say.
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i have no qualms english of local dialect use. It is the people who correct english-struggling-speakers tantamount to ridicule. THAT IS TOTALLY STUCK-UP SNOBBISH. There are people who speaks and struggle with english who has the most logical mind.
There was once a Filipino “manager” who was so uncomfortable with my fluent conversational english that she thoughted that I was right because of my precision of english words. Not realizing he has been had.
When I drop words like “Mathematical properties of equation of the balance sheets” he simply just dropped the whole idea of arguing with me with the rest of the managers.
DUH!
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Well written and well said Ilda!
My definition and understanding of the word “elite” is someone who is enlightened, progressive, industrious, philanthropic, and wealthy in terms of achievements and deeds. (Not so much monetary wealth, especially in the Philippines where most wealthy families are no different from mafias or common thugs who steal.) I’m glad you wrote this Ilda! Filipinos really get the word “elite” confused with fame and money.
For example, many Filipinos would consider Borgy Manotoc an elite. Or someone who goes to Coffee Bean or anybody who can afford to live in a high-rise condo in Manila. I’m using Borgy Manotoc because someone I know casually said that he’s an “elite.” I said to myself, “What has he accomplished?” Just because he has a rich (yet questionable) influential family background and a model makes him an “elite”? And what pisses me off is that Filipinos are so proud to label these Filipinos as elites. I think most like saying the word “elite” because it’s just chic to say it.
When I visited a company to pick up samples and paperwork, I introduced myself and explained my purpose in English. A woman, perhaps in her late 20s or 30s stood up, pretended to be inconspicuous, excused herself but clearly holding back her laugh. I’m not stupid, I knew she was making fun of me because I spoke English to them rather than Filipino. Being more mature and understanding, I ignored it in a professional manner. I wanted to put her on the spot and ridicule her and make her feel that she’s just a common folk who will struggle for the rest of her life who lacked the intelligence and decency. Being a nice person who understood the whole situation, I did not bother. I simply told the owner of the company, “In America, that kind of behavior is absolutely unacceptable…please have a word with your employee. I know that I am not in America but ordinary Filipinos like your employee should be professional at all times.”
But, when I left, I started to think that maybe I had a hair hanging out of my nose, or a dandruff on my hair, maybe my fly was open, maybe it was my fault. I speak good English, go to the gym, consider myself irresistable naked, dress nice…but what made that employee behave the way she did? Ahhh, it’s just that mediocrity in the Filipino at work. Too bad, she was kind of hot. I would have asked her out to dinner. Looks can really be deceiving. I guess I didn’t look “elite” enough based on Filipino standards. I should have worn a tie with a big POLO sign on it.
The word elite is so misunderstood and overused in the Philippines that I refuse to utter it. It has lost its true meaning and luster….in the Philippines.
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ulong pare Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
…. daaaang
@indio c1521… well… ‘cuse meeeee!
… tangalog is my second language… inles ooopsie english is perst…
… if you do not understand or do not like my inles, you harden der (sa tangalog, manigas ka!)
… “sir” is kinda lousy… when a sexy gurl calls me “kuya”, it has a kinky ring to it…
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ChinoF Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
When a sexy gurl says “wag, koya, wag,” the more you would like to do it.
Do what? Say, “Ay, I is not liked you, you are flying low kalapati, I want more cless…”
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Ryan Bosco Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
LOL, I agree 100%
“Kuya” is a word that makes me go wild in total abandon!
“Kapatid” on the other hand will make me flaccid in a second. Sick!
Kuya has that “I’m the boss, you’re the maid, let’s do something naughty” ring to it.
BUT I DIGRESS…what was the article about again? LOL
[Reply]
ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
@Ryan
I’m glad you appreciate it. I really felt the need to stand up for all Filipinos who feel alienated in their own country just because they use their head. The norm in the Philippines is to laugh at those who try and be different, which is part of the reason why some folks just try to blend in with the crowd just to avoid attracting too much attention and risk being ridiculed.
Filipinos do equate people with money as someone who is a member of the elite. Someone born into privilege like P.Noy is equivalent to someone who just won the lottery.
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English is an unusual burden for many Pinoys.
German? No. The Vulcan language? No.
English? As Conrado de Quiros would say — GMA Talsik Diyan!
English is an unusual burden for many because Pinoys feel an obligation to be well-versed in that language. Swahili? No. Hiligaynon? No. English? Yes.
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ulong pare Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
… daaaaang
@up grad naman naman namannnnn…
… according to false oooopsie pulse asia/sws survey, flips rank turd oooopsie third in spokoning inles in da hole wide world…
… and an AP blog is still ongoing to substantiate that flips are indeed the inles expert… ask a bisdak…
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Elistism is the word, or jargon that people called themselves; because they believe that they are more favored in life than you and me. I don’t believe in Elitism. Everybody is given a skill; a talent to contribute something in our society.
Being a Leader is not just, experience and brainpower. Your heart must be right. You must be sincere in leading your people for a good cause. The Aquinos are false leaders. They went into Politics to protect their ownership of the Hacienda Luisita. They pretend to be recognized with the poor. However, it is very glaring: they come from the landed and ruling Feudal Oligarchs. EDSA was successful transformation from Marcos Dictatorship to so called Democracy. Instead, we have Feudal Oligarchy. The Aquinos protected in any way they can their ownership of the Hacienda Luisita.
These people are good actors and pretenders. Noynoy Aquino pretending to know a lot. His Public Relation machine building him as good as U.S. President Obama. However, he cannot escape his lack of academic and legislative accomplishments. Records never lie…
I don’t believe that because, he is the President. Some Divine Sources will descend on his brains. Makes him a good accomplishing President. Looking on the records of the Aquinos: they have been opportunistic and pretending people. Using their alliance with the Catholic Church. They are succesful impostors.
Jesus Christ had already taught us how we can determine these impostors, in our times: “Ye shall know them by their Fruits.”
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Indolent Indio Circa 1521 Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
WoW! We have a priest here making sermons. Lookit, Philippinfines has not progressed since CHRISTIANITY WAS INTRODUCED 480 YEARS AGO.
Now that Philippfinos are “educated” and now knowing that Prayers were not answered by their God, VATICANS ARE NOW BLAMING THE PHILIPPFINOS AS IDIOTS AND INDOLENTS!!!! Ain’t dat kool?
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Hyden Toro Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Sorry, I’m not a Priest. I’m just a common Blogger. However, I know about religions…I know the teachings of various religions…there is nothing wrong in using them for the search for truth in life. I believe in God. but not in organized religions.
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Jay Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
If anything Hyden, I think we both share the same belief that people are born differently. While others may see it as a way to try rank someone on a social scale, I feel its advantageous. Those who are superbly smart shouldn’t be left to rot with the ranks of normal intelligence. HE/She should be given the keys of knowledge in hopes exploring more about our world. At the same time, those who are capable of mass organization, responsible decision making and good charisma shouldn’t be put down due to their place in society. Hell Jesus himself was one of a kind and he fulfilled a role no minister, pharisee, scholar or even human can but we all know the story as to why.
That is why usually real kings stand alone. Not only because of their material lavishness but the burden of responsibility put on them. A real elite can stand tall with the weight of the world and the hopes of the people on him.
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Hyden Toro Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Search for the Truth is a lifetime quest. Educating yourself, is a lifetime quest. Finding your true self is a lifetime quest. There are too many factors that try to hijack your life. One of these factors are:Organized Religion. It is because they exclude people. I believe that any religion that excludes people are not of God.
Our True Divine Source never allocated air, water, or food, to those who believe in him only. They are free for all of us. Whether, you believe in Him or not. Rich or poor; educated or ignorant; radicals or conservatives. All are choosen. I don’t believe in choosen people; choosen religions; choosen tribes; etc…everybody is choosen…
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Kahlil Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 12:26 am
hey guys…
sorry to butt in, but i just thought i might add to that being ‘chosen’ concept. its such an archaic concept for me. IMO, the choice lies within each one of us. we must make a choice. for those who don’t, they fall victim to organized ‘religion’, ‘brotherhoods’, ‘societies’, or whatever you can think of that tend to lump people together for some imagined affinity just for the heck of it.
like for example baptisms. you get baptised into roman catholic without you being able to make that decision for yourself. by the time you go through confirmation, there’s no choice to be made anymore. you already grew up as a roman catholic. how can you even decide or ‘confirm’ that this is what you want when you’ve already grown up thinking that ‘this is it, i’m catholic’ and ‘to hell with other religions out there, i’ve found mine already.’ isn’t that just sad that from the get go, choices are being made for us with out us having a say in it?
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ChinoF Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Yes, the idea of being “chosen” is one of the cornerstones of racism. I wonder if our oligarchs believe that they’re “chosen” to control the country. Chosen by themselves, that is. Or this silly idea that Filipinos are “chosen” to be the Christian champion in Asia… so we are championing corruption as a significant part of a Christian culture.
That’s true Kahlil, and that’s what I hate about Roman Catholicism. Baptism and other ceremonies are forced on you when you’re not aware. You’re basically forced to be part of this religion. These Roman Catholic ceremonies have the idea of preempting personal decision – reinforcing on you that you have no right to free will. Very wrong. My mom keeps telling me, “you were born a Catholic, you should die a Catholic,” as if I have no right to choose my own religion.
Don’t get me wrong, I like what you just said, but the whole way you wrote it sounds like you can’t decide whether it’s about a real commentary on being elite or whining about how butt-hurt you are about being called an elitist snob. Some of your personal feelings detract from the delivery of the point.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
You are reading waayyy too much into it like a typical Pinoy. If you like the message of the article like you said, just concentrate on that and not on the personality of the blogger who you don’t even know.
Cheerio!
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Anonylol Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 1:09 am
To be fair, he does have a point. The way you replied kind of underscores it too.
That and calling him a “typical pinoy”
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I am so comfortable for who I am, that I do not need to speak english when I transact with multi-national employees. I do not need to speak english to be respected. I do not need to dress-up to get attention. I think like I am an elite but I act like a peasant, down-to-earth!
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As far as I’ve seen in the above thread, there are only two fundamental points of contention being highlighted by most commentors (in order of decreasing small-mindedness):
(1) The tired old English vs Tagalog thingy; and,
(2) Snobbery vs Elitism
But the obvious point here being missed (as the stunted mind of the typical Pinoy tends to do in most cases) can be encapsulated in one word:
Achievement
This is what underpins some of the definitions of a real elite person or group of people that the author quoted in the above article. And it is the point being highlighted as far as (a) the basic nature of Noynoy’s being president, and (b) the context of his being born into the illustrious Aquino name.
When the concept of achievement is considered, the whole point of this article becomes clear AND clearly settles the earlier two SMALL points that have become the main points being quibbled over by the riffraff in the above comment thread.
Indeed, AP and most collective blogs are microcosms of Pinoy society. The biggest noise is made by those who understand the SMALLEST aspects of an argument.
Sayaw Pinoy, sayaw.
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If anything Ilda, it seems mikers’ took more to my mediocrity claim, which then led for him to label certain posters in the article as snobs. And why not, since he can’t even recognize the real societal concept of what an elite really is. Privileged certainly does not make one that.
I think he was trying to make me or you look condescending, but then again Pinoys like to play that way when somebody talks to them about beneficial stuff they don’t know.
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ilda Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Righto Jay
At least he inspired me to write this blog
BTW, he didn’t respond anymore after realising his own error.
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Why do Pinoys hate the elites? One reason is because they don’t want others they consider their equal be above them. All men are equal is correct. However, each person is unique. From birth, we all have God-given qualities which enables us to excel in a certain field. Coupled with character, gives plus or minus points to it. Refer to the definition above.
Tagalog and English. English is preferred because it has enough words to communicate ideas. Tagalog has limited vocabulary. English is tagged with elitism because Pinoys know not what the word means. Would a Pinoy use “katangi-tangi” or “dalubhasa” to mean elite? No. They would use “mayabang”. Having been colonized with the upper-class having access to good education, Pinoys therefore associate fluency in a foreign language as being elite which means “mayabang” to a common Pinoy.
Therefore, it must be known to Pinoys what a true elite is. So I agree with Ilda on this matter. I don’t understand why don’t. I think you’re quite hung up on the past discussions.
Tagalog and English each has it’s own use. If you prefer Tagalog, then make a more precise dictionary without the borrowed English words pathetically made Tagalog by changing the spelling. Even with such I believe nobody in his right mind would go through the trouble of learning it when English is all prepped-up and ready to go.
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ChinoF Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 12:15 am
It’s still true the Filipino culture continues to promote inequality. Filipinos generally have the goal of, as Benign0 brilliantly puts it, asserting social dominance over the other. The feudal pattern of our country has propagated this kind of culture, and political maneuverings have helped keep this pattern in place. The “inborn” elite, the landed families we call oligarchs, want nothing more than maintaining this dominance over the poor masses. But the poor may disguise their wish as “get out of poverty” when it is really “be the next oligarchs over the poor I no longer want to be part of.” Hatred of the elite, whatever type of elite you name, along with our local brand of “racism,” continues to be one of the harmful traits of our culture.
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Anonylol Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 1:40 am
So at it’s core all this is because Filipinos really hate and can’t stand each other? That’s a depressing thought. It implies a certain kind of narrow mindedness that I find incredibly abhorent.
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ChinoF Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 2:20 am
And that is what Ilda was saying in her article. The poor hate the “elites,” the “elite” hate the poor… and Mikers hates Ilda…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui6-Wc0PDc4
check this out guys. i agree with many things this websites says about how backward our culture can be. it just reminds me of the african american culture sometimes. this is about chris rock’s stand up bid about loving black people but hatting nigg*rs. well i love filipinos but i hate p.noys…
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@Ilda
By reading your articles alone, I can say that you can make a good president!
I blame it to upbringing that many of us are anti-elitists. Many Filipino parents do not teach their children the value of the latter’s unique skills and abilities so that they also fail to recognize or give credit to other’s achievements. Take the example of those children forced to study in a field they dislike. If one is not happy with what he has achieved, the tendency is that he will also make the others unhappy.
Secondly, the Media has a very strong influence with their telenovelas, where most of the plots convey that the rich are evil (kontrabida) and the poor are always the good (bida). This kind of story line gives the poor the feeling of triumph when the rich (evil) falls to his knees. Most Filipinos adapt such telenovelas to real life and that is the main reason why they vote for unqualified movie actors like FPJ, Estrada, Revilla, just to name some.
I have lived for almost two decades in Europe and I admire how the common people there look up with respect and appreciation to the achievements of the rich, privileged and intelligent families. Like in Germany, they always say “not everybody can be Alexander von Humboldt”.
Info on von Humboldt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_von_Humboldt
I am longing to experience to hear Filipinos say – not every man can be president!
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