Unique Psychology

“Culture is simply how one lives, and is connected to history by habit.”

There’s something that we should be proud of. We, Filipinos have qualities innate to us. A talk by Dr. Katrin made me realize many things. Things I did not have any idea of before. It made me realize that I should be proud I am a Filipino. For our traditions and culture are diverse and exceptional. And that make us exceptional but not indifferent.

            Dr. Katrin said that here in the Philippines, when there is a birthday party and some uninvited people come, the host still accommodates them. She also said that this behavior is not observed in Western culture. This only proves that Filipinos are truly hospitable.

            Another point raised is that Filipinos do not practice the concept of kanya-kanya. We are used to share what we have to other people without expecting something in return. In rural areas, neighbors share their food whenever they cooked a lot. In that scenario, we are showing that we are unified as Filipinos. And that shows that we are not only looking back with ourselves but, we are also concerned with other people, as well.

            As a Christian country, it is important that we put God in the center of our lives. Dr. Katrin discussed many Filipino principles in life regarding our religion. Problems come in our lives and it depends upon us how to overcome these. Filipinos always put in their minds that God is always good and that He will help us solve those problems. We usually think that even with hardships, life is worth-living. See? Filipinos are positive-thinkers and do not easily quit. Every sunrise brings a brand-new day because there is always someone who will help us that gives us hope. And that is Him.

            We should not perish the world where we have first opened our eyes. We should not let our culture disappear in its own way despite we started to exercise the entrance of Western ideas. We can even say some of us do have colonial mentalities but almost all of us continue to preserve our culture, customs and tradition by depicting them in our day to day activities. 

            I like the talk about Filipino psychology because it made me understand that I should be proud of being a Filipino, that I should not deteriorate the legacies of my predecessors especially those culture and tradition that reflects our national identity, that I should be a Pearl of the Orient. I am but a small voice but let me leave my fellowmen a piece of thought: “If we practice our culture, we unfold our history.”