Most of the time people want to be in the first line, in every transactions, in every waiting hours, and the sad part is when someone pulls you down just to be through along the way, and this is what we called "crab mentality".
These words describe for pulls away someone to get success. This metaphor used to described crabs when they are in the bucket, they keep on crawling and pulling each other just to get out in the pot, but what happened they all remained in the bottom.
Crab mentality is first coined by," Ninotchka Posca, a feminist and a human rights activist. This is a very common expression used to describe Filipinos who have a bad habit like this, it will block personal growth, no consideration with the feelings of other people just to get the first spot, it is destructive to a group, allies, and in any people.
One example of this mentality is the news I saw on TV, there was a fish vendor who sells tilapia and the other one is bangus. But the tilapia vendor saw her neighbor who sold out her bangus every day. The other vendor used to spy the scale of the Bangus vendor and try to scale her fish on that scale and she said that the bangus vendor had cheated her scale. In the end, they have fought and hurt each other and the bangus vendor filed a case against the tilapia vendor.
That's what we called crab mentality, a person who can't afford to see their fellow men reach the top and they will try to make a way to stop it. This mentality is everywhere.
Here are some illustrations of a crab mentality;
Selfish, harmful jealous mindset who will try to undermine and halt the progress of the other.
Most of the time they are proud of themselves and treat others as a low capacity, there is a sense of arrogance from people who have crab mentality
When they have some achievements they brag about it to everyone to put themselves higher than others and look down on people especially those who come from the province. They can be racist on their own race.
They feel panic when their colleagues feel happy, it seems very unpleasant to hear.They can have a feeling that they need to do something so that they will not be left behind.
For example here in our place if there are some small business who show up, you can observe on the next day there will be another person who established the same business.They freak out especially when they see on Facebook that her friend lposted a beautiful things they achieved.It gives a feeling of insecurity.
They will be happy when someone fail rather than anybody will succeed without him.It is the opposite of a Filipino culture called "Bayanihan" where everyone is helping together.
They are full of positivity for themselves and highlight negativity for other people and keep on blaming others when they fail.
Everyone tends to have this kind of mentality, if we are not aware of we can hurt the people around us because of this attitude. It keeps our friends away from us and even avoids us.
Another thing to overcome this;
Reflect
We have given time to ourselves to realize that there are people who have done better done us.
We have to accept the fact that we fail and we are not perfect to always be the best all the time.
We have to change the mindset into loving and sympathize with other people rather than pulling them down.
The bottom of this is being envious and jealous of the rest, and you know it will kill any relationship that we have, and it will turn us into a critical person who never wants to admit himself to fail.
Failure doesn't only mean we are not the better person it only shows that human has weaknesses and capable of committing mistakes. This pandemic should remind us that we cannot survive alone, we need each other's company to guide us and help us when we are in need.
No man is an island, and we are designed to live with each other that is why we should learn how to love and relate to other people's mistakes and failures in life. Great success doesn't only mean being on the top but being the reason why other people succeed.
If as all possess this kind of character, we will fall together, it's like a ship that will drown in the sea. Always recognize that you are unique and you can do your best not for anybody but to make yourself better.
Have a blessed day!
Thank you.
Yes, very common in the Phil. Hope to have at least new way to educate people that this kind of character will ruin the future generations.