Poverty won’t sink Pinoys; it’s lack of discipline

By Alex P. Vidal

“Success isn’t measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.”—Mike Ditka

FILIPINOS aren’t the poorest in the world. Being poor is only in the mind—an abnormal state of mind.

Because our thinking has been preprogrammed and preconditioned by politicians with vested self interests and former colonizers who want us to doubt our capabilities, self worth and talent, most of us think destitution is the major insecurity that will bring us down.

It’s actually our lack of discipline that makes us different from others, not the lack of funds and material things in life.

We lack the patience to earn a small but decent living thus we always want to become instant rich. When we are given the opportunity to work in government, many of us steal and become abusive.

When we are given the chance to land in lucrative private or corporate jobs or engage in businesses, we become lethargic, and we have this tendency to adopt a lackadaisical attitude; we cease to be competitive and productive.

We love siestas and long vacations. We hate temporary sacrifices for long-lasting benefits. We worry a lot for our social rank and image.

We love shortcuts, easy money, easy promotion, easy pleasure, easy victory, and quick access to fame and fortune. We love too much freedom and less in accountability and responsibility.

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If we are poor, we can’t afford to host international events in sports, beauty contest, concert, convention, trade fair, among other expensive and world-class conclaves.

We can’t afford to send our children to private schools and give them a modest life if we are in dire straits financially.

If we are poor, many Pinoys can’t afford to own iPhones, luxury cars, and other high-tech gadgets like iPad and MacBook for social media use and for the status symbol; we can’t afford an exorbitant Taylor Swift concert ticket and fly first class to watch it in Singapore and Australia; we can’t afford to waste millions of pesos in dubious double-your-money investments that turn out to be scams.

The Philippine economy, by the way, is estimated to be at P25.27 trillion ($436.6 billion) in 2023, making it the world’s 34th largest by nominal GDP (gross domestic product) and 14th largest in Asia according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It’s not an economy of the poor.

We are poor only in our irrational judgement and choices; we are poor in self discipline and self worth; we are poor in patriotism and faith in hard work and education as a major tool to walk away from ignorance and inferior quality of life.

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TAKE A RISK. Sometimes we have to decide what is more important to us. Keeping our pride and getting nothing or taking a risk and maybe having everything.

REMINDER ON DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. Let’s not get offended when friends disagree with our opinions. On every subject on which difference of opinion is possible, the truth depends on a balance to be struck between two sets of conflicting reasons.

WHAT IS GOD? God is the arm that will hold us at our weakest, the eye that will see us at our darkest; and the heart that will love us at our worst.

BIBLE’s LOCUST. The most destructive insect in the world is the desert locust (Schistocera gregaria), the locust of the Bible, whose habitat ranges from the dry and semi-arid regions of Africa and the Middle East, through Pakistan and northern India. (Carneigie Library of Pittsburg)

CAUSE OF SEX ADDICTION. According to sex therapist Mark Pines, having abusive parents can lead to sex addiction. Pines has a practice in Irvine, California. He told the Orange County Register in an article dated April 9, 2010 that “it’s common for men who cheat to have a bottomless need for adoration.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)