Tong Tong Tong Pakitong Kitong

Crabs in pots are contemptible creatures. Every crab trying to get out of the pot from the side (to save his life), gets pulled down by all the others.

Oh, and do you know where this is headed...

We've been hearing about crab mentality since we were kids. It describes the attitude of trying to pull down people for one's own success. It's the mentality we've discussed in our social studies classes, along with the Mañana habit, and other bad attitudes.

Recent events have led me to ponder on crab mentality among us Filipinos. To start off, recently, the number of extra-judicial killings as increased, and we are fast becoming one of Asia's killing spots. Politicians and other active members of groups are murdered relentlessly. Why? Because they cross paths with other people. They don't share the same goals, and what do their "opponents"/challengers do? They kill them. They kill them so that they eliminate the one threat to their vested selfish interests, which they hide with supposed wise words and "good" projects (I've always wondered why there are always new basketball courts donated by politicians before elections.). On a smaller scale, pageants have this culture where, because different beautiful women compete for a crown, they have certain tactics that aim to put their rivals down. It is no surprise anymore to hear about this and that person in this pageant doing this and that thing, like putting deodorant in the wrong places for example, and other silly things. Derogatory rumors simply plague the pageants. Even in showbiz and sports, the famous fields of work, people simply have the nerve to put others down, using the power that they have. Why? Because they pose a threat to their careers. They haven't the spirit to improve themselves and their craft, and what do they do? They pull the best down. In effect, the standard goes down, and they can call themselves great. How many sportsmen, actors, actresses, writers, singers, dancers and the like, have either been victims or suspects of this crime of pulling down? It's just a sad, sad thing.

I'm not afraid to say that it is indeed tempting to pull down others, that even I at one point, have pondered upon doing it, because, seeing the great talent in others we can't seem to have, we think that the solution, or the great equalizer, is to do something that we think will show justice to this very unfair, unequal situation. It's hard not to be jealous, or to feel threatened, but we always have to keep in mind, that we are all unique, and we also have something others don't, and if we just take time to reflect, and to improve on our very own talents and passions, we will never have the time for being envious, for being bitter, for being crabs.

I think "focus" is the right word to use. We just have to focus on the right things, and everything will be alright.