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For Filipinos, crab mentality describes a way of thinking best described by the phrase….“if i can’t have it, neither can you”. It’s a metaphor referring to crabs in a bucket in which, one of them struggles to get to the top but instead is being pulled down by other crabs that are also trying to get to the top.
Now, some may think crab mentality is normal as it implies healthy competition between people. Which is in fact, completely normal. But in more ways than one, it is more destructive than normal, especially if you unintentionally outdo another at the other’s expense. A sad reality it is, as it shows lack of unity among us Pinoys.
I, myself have experienced being ignored and denied by a fellow Pinoy blogger. You know, starting out as a newbie in the blogosphere is a struggle and one of the first few things you wanted to accomplish is gain new friends. One day I was dropping Entrecard and I discovered this Pinoy blogger who is also in the field of online money making. I admired his blog in many ways as his site was very informative and useful. I posted a comment on one of his entries and then I politely introduced myself as a fellow Pinoy blogger asking to trade links with him. You know, he didn’t respond with anything. A perfect example of crab mentality in full effect. I would have appreciated if he told me, “Hi there kababayan! I’m sorry but you have to make enough posts for your link to be featured here.” Then at least I know he’s being real. But I got no response, and not being kind to your fellow bloggers is the fastest way for you to lose potential subscribers.
Not only in the blogosphere can we witness our crab mentality. I have seen several comments from Pinoys over at YouTube flaming each other because of some lame topic that they don’t agree upon. And it doesn’t stop there. When you check out MySpace, you can see some Pinoys in Filipino discussion groups hating on each other back and forth over small and senseless crap. It makes me sad to know that we Pinoys can’t unite when in fact we are the ones who authored our most admired trait which is Bayanihan. What an irony!
It’s pretty obvious that a lot of people have pointed out the lack of unity among us Filipinos and the tendency to pull down one another is one of the factors why our country is not moving ahead economically.
Now, my experience above doesn’t generalize that all Filipino bloggers have crab mentality. I have met some Pinoys who give a damn regardless if they’re going to benefit from the effort they put in to connect with you. Like Ric from Iloilo who runs Blog with Ric who I’m going to give a link love here and also this Filipino engineer from Batangas and his blog Humane Blogging Tips who gave me a good recommendation in my Entrecard page. In return, I paid it forward by giving him an equally good recommendation. And props to kimsan and her blog My First One Million Pesos for including PinoyRak in her Link Friends without me asking for it, so I did the same for her and I gained a new friend in the blogosphere. I also met some bloggers from other countries who’ve been kind enough to show some love. So, props to Querblogger from Germany and his Making Money Experiment who gave room for my link without any second thoughts. Oh, I almost forgot to give credits to beautifullybless over at GPT Online Source for trading links. Also I would like to give props to the guys over at PinoyBlogosphere for uniting Pinoy bloggers.
You see blogging is a two-way street. Give and you shall receive. This is a call to Pinoy bloggers out there to put a stop to Crab Mentality. Now let’s do a little experiment. I want to know if you’re a crab or not. If you’re a Pinoy blogger and you’re reading this, make your presence felt and drop a comment here. I would love to hear from you.
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As usual, a lot of crabs just passing by and dropping their cards. Maybe it has something to do with too much salt around us because we’re in an archipelago. We sort of copied the traits of sea creatures that inhabit our shores.
Hello there. Your site is really good, especially sa mga mahilig sa raket. Pwede nga namang raketin mga PTC programs ano? Tara link-exchange tayo. Okay lang kung ayaw mo. Nandito na nga pala link mo:
http://ulupongdotcom.blogspot.com/2008/01/links.html
Sana mag-linkback ka para okay.
Hi there nepspeed82! Thank you for commenting, it only goes to show that not all Pinoy Bloggers are crabs. You’re definitely right. Too much salt water does have a bad effect on us.
I’m more than cool with the link exchange bro. Actually, I’d be more proud if a fellow Pinoy have offered it. I’d be equally proud to pay it forward. I’ll dropby your site and comment too to show my support. See you around.
Hi,
While I am trying to find out who’s the “deadma” blogger is, I was surprised to see my Humane Blogging Tips right before my eyes. Thanks for mentioning it here. Actually, I only post recommendations to blogs that is worth to recommend, that’s why it is a recommendation isn’t it?
Anyway, the crab mentality that Pinoys are known for is a hurting truth. Our country is very rich in soil, natural resources, great artists and talented individuals anywhere around the world. That’s why I do not believe that Filipinos are poor.
Unity is the answer to our problems, from the government down to the lowest level employees, from the richest businessmen down to the poorest among the poor, from the educated to the out-of-school youth.
Just hope this dream of ours come true.
Thanks at Mabuhay ka, Kabayan!
Guardian Angel
Wow! Very well said sir. I like the way you mentioned our country is rich in natural resources and wonderful talented people. But the sad truth is that we lack in unity.
I’m not losing hope on our country. As we should unite once and for all especially in these times of ‘world food crisis’. I guess we as bloggers has this responsibility to unite and create a change. As bloggers, we have the power to inform because we have a voice.
Thank you for dropping by. I’ll see you around sir. Let’s exchange links if that’s not too much to ask.
My best regards,
PinoyRak aka charismaborn
fine post, bro.
it’s funny how quickly crab (and elitist) mentalities crept up in the pinoy blogs.
but your thoughts ought to open some eyes, and make them aware of the true beauty of this medium.
Thank you Manila Boy for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Yeah bro, I hope it would open some eyes in our blogging community. Its about time to show the rest of the blogosphere that we Pinoys can unite.
Again, thank you for your kind words. I’ll visit your site soon. Let’s do a link exchange.
Hmmm this post made me check my comment and search for ” http://www.pinoyraketonline.com ” and good nothing has been found, that means I am not that no pansin blog.. or is it me?
I also experience this when I was starting but what I did, I link to their site always.. and there come a time that they linked back.
Some blogs also protects their PR that is why their are not linking back to blogs with Lower PR.
What I am doing I make, list of blogs at my link page. And ussually I linked those that appear with my technorati back link.
So this is what we called share your link and be blessed.
Come on man, it’s not you that I’m talking about. Anyway, you got a nice bro. I’ll go visit and explore your site soon as I have a wedding to attend later today.
You’re right some blogs won’t link back with a low Page Rank because it affects their PR too. But I remember what John chow said and it inspired me. He said something like, “I don’t care about my PR, what more important is my readers.” I don’t even have a PR yet but when I do, I wouldn’t mind exchanging links with a struggling Pinoy blog.
Nice tip. I’ll try linking blogs too. I’ll start with Tech at Hand dot net.
Again, thanks bro. See you around.
sad to say but i did experience what you have gone through especially when i started blogging (and my page rank was still zero). pero newbie kasi ako…pakumbaba na lang…wala akong magawa eh…sila nauna…baby pa lang ako sa blogosphere. somebody left a comment nga in my cbox and told me my blog was annoying by a fellow filippina. at first i wanna cry talaga pero sabi ko marami namang mabait dyan…hanap na lang ako na makiki-friendship sa akin. and i did….
if you want to exlinks with me, visit ka lang…mamahalin kita doon!! (i have few blogs din you can chose) by the way, invite kita to join PEXLINKS TRIPLE LOVE PROJECT. nasa blog ko ang details. magmahalan tayo doon.
see yeah around.
What a shame to that fellow Pinay who left rude words at your cBox. A perfect example of a crab. You know what to do with those rude comments? When life throws you lemon make lemonade out of it ika nga. Use it as your motivation to improve.
I’ll visit your site tomorrow as I have a wedding to attend later. I like the idea of Triple Love Project, count me in, I’ll visit your site and look for it.
Catch you around. Oh, and I’m cool with the link exchange. Let’s do it soon.
Hi,
Crab has no brain. Anyway you are right with this article that you have.
I am interested for a link excnage.
don’t worry make money
Health and Wealth
No problem bro. Let’s do a link exhange. Nice to see you around.
This is a very powerful post, I hope a lot of the veteran bloggers will get to read it and lead them to examine their attitude toward newbies like us. I get snobbed too most of the time, but since I have gained a steady and sincere following in foreign shores, di ko na masyado pinapansin mga pinoy bloggers who snob me, but it is still frustrating and disappointing to wade into waters you initially thought would embrace you pero yun pala, will actually turn its back on you. Kaya din madalas, I don’t join forums or blogger EB’s and events kasi it gives me a feeling na pang-veteran bloggers lang sila and if newbies would ever come, pampadagdag lang sila ng crowd. I maybe wrong, but it’s just how it feels. I tried to shake this feeling off numerous times before, but it just keeps coming back. Most of the friendly people I bump into in the sphere are the new ones also, thank God for them, they make blogging a lot easier and breezier.
“I get snobbed too most of the time, but since I have gained a steady and sincere following in foreign shores, di ko na masyado pinapansin mga pinoy bloggers who snob me, but it is still frustrating and disappointing to wade into waters you initially thought would embrace you pero yun pala, will actually turn its back on you.”
That thing you said above there hits the spot. Those veteran bloggers have their ego’s way up above the clouds. I don’t get it too, why can’t we get some love from our own community when in fact we should be the one’s to do it first? It makes me sad too.
Thank you for your comment. I will link your blog here and I’ll visit your site too to show my support.
I’ll see you around.
not because somebody “ignored” your comment for a link exhange does it mean “crab mentality” already. it’s a non sequitur. if that blogger actively did something to pull you down, then that’s crab mentality. otherwise, he’s just probably very busy. or probably cares so much about his pr rank he won’t bother linking to you. you cant force him to do stuff you want; it’s his blog.
and anyway, crab mentality is like this: if you’re higher than him, then he pulls you down, that’s crab mentality. but you are actually LOWER than him, and all he did is ignore you, that’s not, by definition, crab mentality. you can’t be pulled DOWN by someone HIGHER THAN YOU.
in my case, i don’t do any link exchange. and often, too, when everyday life happens i tend to forget answering to comments.
as for youtube commenters, it’s a well-known fact around the interwebs that youtube commenters are the noisiest, rudest mofos on the planet — not only filipinos, but everybody else. so if you’re saying filipino youtube commenters are rude with one another, ergo, crab mentality, you’re probably kidding, right?
it’s also silly to make that “dare” in your last paragraph: “if you’re not a crab, drop a comment here.” or something to that effect. i actually laughed out loud over that one. again, a non sequitur. and again, you’re probably kidding, right?
anyway… in hindsight, “crab mentality” isn’t only about filipinos. it’s part of human nature, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or social standing. but that would take me a lot of writing to explain. so maybe next time.
and one last thought: if these comments are moderated, and you didn’t approve a dissenting commenter (like me), what does it say about you?
cheers.
Just got back from a wedding
I especially like this part —– “and one last thought: if these comments are moderated, and you didn’t approve a dissenting commenter (like me), what does it say about you?”
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate it. Now, moving on…. LMAO.
ay! akala ko ako na LOL.
kase minsan nagcocoment ka sa blog ko eh,
naku huwag mong pansinin yang mga yan,
payaman na lang tayo haha!
if u want link exchange tayo,
Hahaha… Kaya pala tagal mo mag-comment.
Anyway, I’m cool with that moofie. Let’s exchange links.
i just left a comment but my browser messed up. just in case the comment was posted, please delete that one.
you have your point, and JB has his own as well. and me? i think blogging shouldn’t be about that link exchange stuff. don’t get me wrong. i do link other blogs, and it’s up to them if they would like to link me back or not. in fact, i just got through the tedious task of linking the blogs that i saw at PBS. i think i missed this one, so i’m gonna put it after this. (note: you don’t have to do the same)
also, i think most bloggers would prefer to be read rather than to read. it’s just a gut a feeling. a heavily-commented post nourishes the ego, not to mention the increased traffic and higher ratings at technorati. i am guilty of it occasionally, but i try my best to shrug it off. thanks to wordpress, browsing blogs is easier compared to blogger.
moreover, i’m pissed with bloggers you only link people who have linked them. what’s with that?
finally, blogging is all about writing and reading. it’s supposed to create an arena of exchanged thoughts. popularity is a plus, but come on! it has to be more than that. i don’t even think it’s about being a newbie or a veteran (perhaps i just really don’t think about such matters; i would still blog even if no one other than me would read me).
too idealistic? could be. but don’t let technorati stifle the blogging essence and experience.
Yep. We’re entitled to our own opinion. Thank you for your unbiased opinion about the topic, I actually admire you for that. It’s just that JB dude got a little emotional, like I solely wrote this topic for him and hurt his sensitive feelings. LOL.
Anyway, I’m also pissed with bloggers. Who don’t have manners. They comment on your post like, “care for a link exchange.” In my mind I’d be like, “At least have the decency to make enough post and introduce yourself.” But you can’t blame them. Just be professional as possible.
Also, I didn’t wrote this to gain popularity. It’s just a had to voice out my thoughts. Yes, I did gained notoriety for this but more than the attention, I touched the sentiments of other bloggers who went through the same experience. And I don’t care about technorati either, I care about my readers.
Thank you for your comments bro. I’ll visit your site soon. Oh, and about that link, I’ll pay it forward bro. See you around. b-)
Hi,
Not replying back is not synonymous to being “crab mentality” my friend. There are countless of reasons why the blog owner(s) did not respond back, but regardless of their reason, do not easily pass judgment on them and brand them as “crabs”.
It seems all this started from that, which is no different from the MySpace group you were referring to - emotional outburst. It’s human nature to expect, but in today’s *ehemm* “Web2.0″ generation, do not expect anything at all.
For example, by challenging your readers if they are a crab or not by replying or not replying:
You should expect no one to reply. Your challenge is in itself a “trap”. I could have thousands of reasons for not being able to reply to you, or for choosing not to reply at all, but that doesn’t mean I’m a crab.
No offense kababayan, but your first example and your challenge does not equate to crab mentality.
But hey, that’s okay. Many Filipinos know your frustration, just that, don’t expect anything in return, that’s Web 2.0 for ya.
Just move on. There are 6.5billion people in the world that you can tap
Today, it isn’t about Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, anymore, it is about regionalism.
If they dont want to join, leave them be. Go to your next neighbor and maybe s/he will be interested in your endeavors.
God Bless and Mabuhay!
PS
I dare not say it lest I want to start a public stunt ;p
Filipinos are not the worst crab-mentality race in the world
So don’t look down on your own race too much, and dont stereotype the Filipino people. We’re far better than the other races (who btw, themselves admit).
Thanks for your comments bro.
Hey, I’m not expecting anything in return my friend. Since that incident I learned to be more cautious. If no one replied to this post I wouldn’t have gave a damn. LOL. If I made another post like, “It’s True You’re All a Bunch of Crabs”. Then I was expecting something.LOL. A few have took that line emotionally that’s why they’d be a little sensitive about it. LMAO. If you don’t want to reply then fine, it’s not like the rest of my life depends on it if you don’t. I have a life outside the sphere.
A lot of other bloggers have read this post only a few replied and didn’t took that line sensitively. Did I bugged them for that? LOL. Modesty aside, I do charity work for orphans every year and I put out effort and resources for that without expecting anything in return. Do you think I’d take this one post seriously and expect anything from it. LOL. And with that I’m accused of looking down on my own race. You can tell me that when I’m not doing my part to make a small change. LMAO.
Thank you my friend for taking time to comment here. I appreciate your time. It was great. You had me rolling.
My best regards,
charismaborn
Hi there! Thanks for dropping by my blog
On your topic…well, crab mentality is a real issue specially within highly competitive environments like the internet blog arena! Some people have badly criticized my blog and the way I write but hey, that’s who I am
Oh, and I linked your blog because I saw it’s value to me and my objective. You have great reviews on online money making schemes. As a matter a fact, I joined DiceAd.
Nice to see you again kimsan.
And yes we all share the same experience but pay them no mind. They dont make or break you.
Catch you around..
Nice post! Glad you wrote about this.. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with pinoys suffering crab mentality..
could get really irritating di ba? there was even a Pinoy blogger who left me negative comment which was totally unrelated to my blog posts. I just wonder, is it to put down fellow bloggers or just to gain attention. whichever, they should have manners..
it’s a good thing there are still a good number of Pinoy bloggers who are willing to help out newbies
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