Filipino Values and Contradictions

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Why does “Filipino time” exist if the time suggested by the hands of a wall clock already suffices? Why do most of us go to the office each day for a job we don’t really desire? Why do some of us live lavishly in the midst of scavengers and squatters? Why do we run away from a country when our country perceives that it needs us more? The need to ask these questions indicates that the Filipino mind is in a crisis and that it must extricate itself immediately. However, before that, let us delve. The Filipino Mind and “Pakikisama” The Filipino psychology is, indeed, a hard shell to crack. One familiar – and nagging – instance involves the usage of the term “maybe”, whose meaning in English is “I’m not sure, it could be, but it could be not” – and probably no other. For the Westerner in a routine (nonfigurative) communicative activity, each unit of idea (word, phrase, sentence) usually means what it is. However, for the Filipino, the term “maybe” takes on a plethora of concealed meanings, such as: 1. “I really don’t know, but I don’t want you to know that I don’t know.” 2. “I don’t know, but I want to end the discussion right now.” 3. “I don’t agree, but I wouldn’t want to sadden you right now by saying ‘No’.” 4. “It is possible, but my decision is not final.” 5. “Yeah, I know – proceed immediately to next topic!” The precise meaning must be pinpointed according to situational context. Like these: What happened before asking the question? What is the relationship between the one who asks and the one who answers? What does the one who asks usually expect from the one who answers? In what manner did the one who answered said “Maybe” – trembling, adroit, or reluctant? What did each one feel at that time – jolly, irksome, or dejected? What does the body language of each one imply? Each separate context with its unique embellishments leads to a unique definition of “maybe”
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