A sense of nationhood
Published Jan 14, 2023 12:05 am
PAGBABAGO
Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid
Like many friends on Facebook, I have mixed feelings about this social media platform. But despite controversies surrounding it, such as its alleged manipulation of privacy, dissemination of disinformation, and potential dangers such as identity theft, I still continue to use it. I had weighed both the positive and the negative and decided that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
It has become some kind of an “agora,” a meeting place of like-minded people, providing a common ground for dialogue on critical concerns affecting our personal lives as well as that of the nation.
Which brings me to the latest exchange triggered by Segundo “Doy” Romero’s post which noted: “Filipinos feel only personal pain but not national pain. Such tragic nonchalance.” The meaning of nonchalance is “unconcern” or “indifference.”
Immediately, dozens of terse and sharp statements followed. There were at least a couple of dozen responses, fraught with significance and emotion even if they noted that as a people, we have become passive and indifferent. One noted that “love for country is on the verge of extinction”… Another said, “We don’t have a sense of nation, except for freaks like us,” …..“Our nationhood is merely a political concept.” “Maybe this is not for us,” another noted. A commentator on national issues noted that “Our sense of community ends with family.” This was followed by one who described our “excess family allegiance.” What happened to “kapwa?” Kapwa is a core construct in psychology meaning “community” or “being with others” or “togetherness.”
“The Spaniards who kept us divided can be blamed for what we are today,” was another comment. We have become a country of 110 parochial interests.”
A social analyst asks, “What good does it do to have a low regard for our own people,” implying the link between this attitude and our lack of nationhood.
“Are we just exercising tolerance knowing that we can’t do anything about it,” one asked. Or is it a survival game where our concern is putting food on the table?” — were questions that try to explain our sorry state of lack of solidarity.
“We don’t know our culture and history,” was the response of one to explain our lack of a sense of nationhood. And, in answer to this, the convenor of this community forum said, “We must develop a culture of reading.” It is love of reading that deepens our sense of nationhood, our devotion to the nation’s interests.
The Facebook exchange ends with a quote from Bertolt Brecht who said, “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate.” It is a person who is indifferent to what is going on around him. The quote is similar to that of Dante Alighieri who said, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”
My email is [email protected]
Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid
Like many friends on Facebook, I have mixed feelings about this social media platform. But despite controversies surrounding it, such as its alleged manipulation of privacy, dissemination of disinformation, and potential dangers such as identity theft, I still continue to use it. I had weighed both the positive and the negative and decided that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.
It has become some kind of an “agora,” a meeting place of like-minded people, providing a common ground for dialogue on critical concerns affecting our personal lives as well as that of the nation.
Which brings me to the latest exchange triggered by Segundo “Doy” Romero’s post which noted: “Filipinos feel only personal pain but not national pain. Such tragic nonchalance.” The meaning of nonchalance is “unconcern” or “indifference.”
Immediately, dozens of terse and sharp statements followed. There were at least a couple of dozen responses, fraught with significance and emotion even if they noted that as a people, we have become passive and indifferent. One noted that “love for country is on the verge of extinction”… Another said, “We don’t have a sense of nation, except for freaks like us,” …..“Our nationhood is merely a political concept.” “Maybe this is not for us,” another noted. A commentator on national issues noted that “Our sense of community ends with family.” This was followed by one who described our “excess family allegiance.” What happened to “kapwa?” Kapwa is a core construct in psychology meaning “community” or “being with others” or “togetherness.”
“The Spaniards who kept us divided can be blamed for what we are today,” was another comment. We have become a country of 110 parochial interests.”
A social analyst asks, “What good does it do to have a low regard for our own people,” implying the link between this attitude and our lack of nationhood.
“Are we just exercising tolerance knowing that we can’t do anything about it,” one asked. Or is it a survival game where our concern is putting food on the table?” — were questions that try to explain our sorry state of lack of solidarity.
“We don’t know our culture and history,” was the response of one to explain our lack of a sense of nationhood. And, in answer to this, the convenor of this community forum said, “We must develop a culture of reading.” It is love of reading that deepens our sense of nationhood, our devotion to the nation’s interests.
The Facebook exchange ends with a quote from Bertolt Brecht who said, “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate.” It is a person who is indifferent to what is going on around him. The quote is similar to that of Dante Alighieri who said, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”
My email is [email protected]