What goes up, must come down! Crab mentality is a popular saying among Filipinos and it refers to behavior associated with envy and jealousy. “If I can’t have it, neither can you and I will pull you down!” I have heard many foreigners over the years complain about crab mentality while living in the islands or spending time visiting the islands. However, I have experienced far more crab mentality from expats over the past 13 years than I have from Filipinos over the past 27 years!
I spent 9 years teaching English in another Asian country before my family and I moved to the Philippines. Another foreign teacher attempted to push me down the stairs because I was chosen by the University Administration to be a judge in the Provincial English Speaking Competition over him. Due to my wife’s experience in the same Asian country, when dealing with many expats, she said many expats will be the same way in the Philippines. Crabs! She was right. There are many crabs among expats who are living in the Philippines. However, not all, of course.
Jealousy, envy and conspiracy are not part of my character. When my friends and family are successful, I am happy for them, and I do not covet what they have achieved. Ever since I was 19 years old, I worked to get what I wanted. If someone had something I liked, then I got it myself, without trying to destroy them or take away what they had earned through hard work and diligence. I also put my nose to the grindstone and achieved what I wanted. I had failures in my life but I wasn’t a failure because I kept at things until I was successful. I never quit!
A bucket of crabs and crab mentality are phrases attributed to the Filipina human rights activist, political prisoner during the Marcos era, author, feminist activist and journalist, Ninotchka Rosca. She witnessed crab mentality among some people in the Philippines, who had short-sighted thinking and “king of the hill” attitude that is not long term.
The Future is today
Shooting yourself in the foot and cutting your own throat are similar phrases with crab mentality. There is no long term vision with crab mentality!
A number of expats go into business with their wives in the Philippines and because they failed, they tell everyone else that they will also fail. I have heard foreigners say that it is impossible to succeed in business in the Philippines. This is far from the truth. I guess my wife’s three successful businesses are a mirage? The businesses have profited every year since 2009 and the Pesos are real. We can spend them.
Ever since I heard about The Power of Positive Thinking as a young man, I applied it to my life and I do not enjoy being around people who are always saying negative things about everything under the sun. I am a glass half full kinda guy, especially about the Philippines. The positives far outweigh the negatives and that is how it has been during my experiences since 1986 in the Philippines.
Even though I come in contact with many foreigners in the Philippines with crab mentality, they cannot pull me down, no matter how hard they try. I am locked in on my agenda in life. If I have to see something first before I believe it, it is not faith at all. We all put our faith in one thing or another. This is my rant for the week!
Great article Gary and I couldn’t agree with you more! It’s so funny reading what you’ve written because some of it almost sounds word-for-word like something I’d say. It’ll be interesting to see what the other readers of RTTP think about ‘Crab Mentality’
On the idea of not allowing the crabs to pull you down, I’m reminded of a song by one of my favorite bands as a teenager…
*WARNING* – If you have a heart condition or just plain old don’t like loud rock music, do NOT click on the following link 🙂
Motorhead – (Don’t Let ‘Em) Grind Ya Down
Steve
…….It’ll be interesting to see what the other readers of RTTP think about ‘Crab Mentality’
Steve,
This reader thinks Gary’s subject should have been “My Wife’s Profitable Businesses and My Upbeat Outlook” He convinced me that he’s a good person devoid of the subject mentality, but walked all around the core problems of expats trying to do business in the Philippines.
Expats in the Philippines are, more often than not, retirees living on savings and/or fixed incomes from pensions. Many listen to wives who have no business experience and sink money into low capital, hence low profit endeavors (five pig breeding operations, ink refill stations, sari-sari stores, passenger tricycles, two jeepney consortiums, hamburger heavens, etc.) and fail miserably because they don’t have the inclination or money to see the venture to fruition, or quit because the profits are simply not worth the effort. They then bad-mouth the process, spilling sour grapes all over the landscape and broadcast their experiences throughout the expat community. Their complaints and whining, however, are heard but seldom heeded by the next wave of hobby business men. I attribute their comments not so much to crab mentality as to a description of what is and the accuracy of hindsight. I have cautioned associates about the risks of pigs, corn fields, face cream distributorships, fish farms and pyramid schemes and resisted every urge to say “I told you” when the venture went belly-up. I am, however, not averse to taking a calculated risk. I recently held my breath as my wife worked her way through a real estate buy/sell maze worth two years of living expenses for us when the smoke cleared and the papers were stamped.
That’s small stuff and relatively inconsequential. What’s really important is to note that experienced businessmen with sense enough not to mortgage the future through inexperienced wives or go into 40/60 partnerships with circling sharks find it, shall we say, difficult to set-up and profitably operate properly registered single-proprietorship businesses because of bureaucratic roadblocks, areas prohibited to foreigners and the cost of keeping things legal. The word “impossible” then moves swiftly into the picture.
Hi Ralph,
First, before anything else, thank you for taking time to make a comment.
My title of the article is correct, as it is about crab mentality and my article did not go into more detail about foreigners doing business in the Philippines but I will have that article appearing in the very near future for you to read.
I think you are painting the entire business situation in the Philippines with the same brush. I agree that some make mistakes by listening to the wrong people, however, I personally know several sari sari store owners in our area of the Philippines who profit more than P40,000 per month, so all are not doomed. Location is important and the owner’s ability to provide the stock to sell on a consistent basis is also very important.. Appearance of the sari sari store can attract a larger customer base. Sari sari stores that hook up with Hapinoy Marketing can buy stock at a much cheaper price and the owner’s profits are much higher. There is a proven strategy for sari sari owners that work, provided the owners follow that strategy.
Since 2010, the current Administration of President Aquino has removed many things that had gone on in the past. There have been a number of government officials and workers who have been dismissed, demoted, reassigned and legally charged due to corruption. When foreigners or locals are engaging in business, there is no fear in reporting any attempts of extorting money.
The Daang Matuwid, Straight Path, policy of current President Aquino is not only catching on and being implemented, it will be carried forward with the next elected President in 2016. The Philippines is enjoying the stability it has not seen in years. Filipinos want to see progress. There is transparency, accountability and predictability, which has established a more favorable environment for both foreign investors on a large scale and for the foreigners engaging in small businesses with their wife. More later when my article appears about doing business in the Philippines.
Have a great day!
~ Gary ~
This is one of your most engaging posts, Gary, although a picture of you rolling down that staircase flashed through my mind, and suddenly I had this urge to chase that jealous teacher down that Chinese street until a rickshaw runs over him. That was CRABBY at its crabbiest, and even here in the US, at the office where I’ve worked for years, crabs lurk, their pinchers ready to pounce. You’re a psychologist and a teacher, so you do have a clear idea of the crassest motivations behind that all too human frailty. I can only gnash my teeth trying to decode what the crabby minds that animate those pinchers must be thinking. I’m sure that when I retire there, I’d be an easy picking for those few crabby expats because, as my friends have always warned me about, I’m too guileless, gullible, and trusting. This post is a fair warning — thanks for posting it.
You are welcome, Mel. Yes, it is fair warning to all! Every expat you meet is not going to be your friend. Over the past 14 years of being an expat, most always, the stress in my life was not created by Chinese or Filipinos, but rather created by Crabby Expats and other expats who just plain have a loose screw!
Thankfully, the only injury I received from being pushed down the staircase was a sprained knee. I guess I roll with the punches pretty darn good! I was able to grab the handrail on the way down to soften my fall but planting my leg so firmly, sprained my knee.
A bad day in the Philippines, which very rarely happens, is better than an excellent day in the classroom in China!
Gary