Now that the election is approaching... let me feature here some strong words from Luis V Teodoro (former Dean of UP Diliman College of Mass Communication. He is also a journalist and educator who has passed away recently, but his words will remain indelible, and well-meaning people will treasure them forever.
He nailed this timely message right on the head, and no amount of whining from the other camp can stop him from calling a spade a spade.
Some salient points in his message said that Filipinos are UNTEACHABLE ... meaning not all of us are willing to learn ... or be taught. Some reasons why it is so ... because some of us lack humility.
When a person is deficient in recognizing his own flaws (for example, idolizing a politician whose rhetorics are punctuated with random killing or rape jokes... tendency to violence, whether verbal or physical ... being a mysoginist or outright defiance of the usual set of norms), when being corrected, the response is a prideful or condescending attitude like dismissing other points of views. "This is what I believe ... so chll and mind your own business!"
Another reason is arrogance. If a person sees himself and thinks of themselves as higher or better than others, there is no room to improve because they don't have an iota of knowledge of their shortcomings ,,, of who and what they are. They can't advance and upgrade because trying to better themselves is not in their vocabulary. They think the way they behave right now is a paragon of virtues.
Another reason why people can't be taught is that they have a strong belief in themselves as a person ... and their own knowledge and capabilities, their successes, and self-worth. While it is possible to influence their beliefs and perception of themselves... I am warning you ... it is not a "quick fix." Hearing comments like " I graduated with A plus grades ... I am confident I am choosing the right candidate. So who are you to MEDDLE in the MIDDLE of my choices?"
Still, one valid explanation why people are "unreachable' and "unteachable" is their resistance to new ideas, perspectives, and points of view. It is human nature that people don't like being contradicted, challenged, and refuted. If they like a certain politician this election ... it is the gospel truth, and nobody can ruin that perception.
Another possible explanation why people stick to their beliefs like glue ... is an old-time Pinoy reaction and behavior when change is imminent - RESISTANCE TO CHANGE.
Think about it: why are people so averse to change when it is clear that the current political climate is not working for this candidate and needs at least tweaked ... if not completely changed?
Simple ... change is difficult, and it is hard work. Think about it, how can you change, for instance, a loyal supporter, who had been a true-blue pompom member of a troll army and had been DEPENDING on his bread and butter all his life, DEFENDING and writing on behalf of his candidate?
To make the question more emphatic, how could one assume they could change behavior or change support to the candidate when they have been performing that behavior the whole time?
The saying "bend a tree while it is young" gives credence to this. The proverb suggests that trying to correct behavior or instill values when a person has made it his lifestyle can be much more difficult and a Herculean task, to say the least.
People need a compelling reason to change; just teaching them they should change is not a compelling enough reason.
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