Why hatred for Ferdinand Marcos will not help solve the Philippines
There has been a lot of comments posted on social media about the issue, should we bury Ferdinand Marcos as a hero?
I will not provide arguments as to why he is not a hero or why he should be considered as one. The main issue that I would like to tackle on is the hatred.
The hatred posts, the foul language, the debates between friends, strangers and family members on this issue is using up a lot of energy- energy that could have been used to talk about new projects for the country. Energy that could have been used for self-development.
The issue is not whether he is a hero or not, but what is this hatred doing to everyone? Social media is a useful tool if maximized-- but in pursuing the endless debate on whether he should be buried or not is causing much hate to resurface.
The hate that will not propel anyone to move on, perhaps this is the reason why Duterte wants the man laid to rest- so we could all move on and face this new administration and the major challenges the country is facing.
At times, activism will have its own share of evils-- I was once a hardcore activist who thought that I needed to defend my ideas at the cost of my family and friends. I once thought that the only way of saving the world was to jump inside the fence and get shot in the head- to prove that what I was fighting for--could change the world.
When you are put in the position of participating into activist groups--you begin to have a sense of entitlement, you start learning more, reading more--thinking that somehow since you are in the path of knowledge--that it is wisdom in itself..but is it?
I remember the 2012 protest for the 182 trees in Baguio. I dedicated almost 2 years of my life to further that cause together with Baguio residents and activisits who are supporting it--only to realize in 2014 that I have become such a hateful individual--so hateful, so vengeful that the mere mention of SM would cause me to hurl negative words--on social media I kept on posting hateful comments, posts that were not in any way providing encouragement--is this the kind of person I want to be...was I really leading people to something useful in the long run?
So hateful that if one of my family member steps inside the mall--I would renounce them all at once. I did my personal boycott for 3years of all SM shopping malls only to realize that the people I have been protesting with--the leaders of top activist organizations have been lounging around in SM far much longer than the average person.
They just prepare the posters for the protests, bring their guitars and microphones--then go and have their coffee inside the mall just the same. They have recruited a lot of people to join the hatred party--- some of my friends left their homes and went in the mountains to train themselves on how to hold a gun--did I want the same thing for myself?
I am not saying that activism is not right or that it did not bring in any changes--if done correctly, using the right methods, focus and goal--it can help pass laws and resolve issues that are beneficial for many.
We are, in most sense facing this personal battle within ourselves---and a life lived in hatred, an advocacy lived in hatred--will only end in despair.
After 3 years of boycott I decided to enter the SM malls again, not because I think that the Sy family is a good corporation but because I did not want to be consumed by my limitations---and my hatred for the world--
There is a tendency for activists to go to radical activism, a lot of issues in the Philippines are surfacing out and we could see a lot of radical activists --- most of these radical ideas believe that it is necessary to turn into revolution-- a violent one in order to attain change...but will it.
Is the hatred for Marcos--- and is the hatred for any other kind going to solve it. The same goes for the issues raised with the Duterte administration--- will our continued focus on the negatives of every administration bring us the growth that we need--or should we be talking more about information and economic growth.
Filipinos tend to get stuck in one particular issue at a time, drawing intense energy that is needed. This is not only for the Marcos funeral issue but for everything else in the country.
Truth be told, I began to realize that despite being an activist in the past--I must not think of myself as superior to the masses-- when you constantly attack and berate and take on the role of the activist criticizing everything that is wrong--does it really lead you to fruitful changes for the future?
Most activists I know got stuck in hatred---and those that have succeeded--- are the one who have attained power for themselves and influence. most of them ran for office anyway---
Can't we talk about Spiritual Activism instead?
All Action is Based on Compassion
I once thought that marching with my fellow students, waving the flag against capitalism, thinking that we will change the world by protests scream and heated discussions-- I was always anti- anything capitalism, fascism, whoever the President is--no matter what they did always seemed useless to me--I believed that by marching in anger I will emancipate the world.
What happened was I only ended up hating more people in the process, more enemies surfaced----it took a while to realize that the only change I really needed to solve was inside myself...that as long as I carried that much anger and blame--then it was impossible to change anything outside of myself.
This led me to search for the questions of my soul...how do I become a better and much more peaceful person inside. How will I see life as a beauty in itself--how would I transform every day life into a spring of joy and happiness?
I have encountered this quote--- which was beneficial for me... " You have to first clean up your own house before you can help anybody else" the transformation I was looking for needed to happen inside of me.
The path is not easy for spiritual activism, but we need to find how to understand life with its great joy and happiness--instead of a constant source of pain and anguish.
To be more effective as a person we need to open our real hearts--so that we can act more authentic and less reactive--- as long as we are just merely reacting to somebody, someone or an event..it means we are just caught up and we need to create less entanglement and mess--- so that we can produce good intentions and a real positive effect.
Search Out Viable and Sustainable Solutions
The hatred that we post on social media--does very little to encourage focus and real growth...we have a lot of work to do...we Filipinos when it comes to real self growth of consciousness and awareness. I am for Spiritual Activism-- done in Silence and in pure bliss..
There has been a lot of comments posted on social media about the issue, should we bury Ferdinand Marcos as a hero?
I will not provide arguments as to why he is not a hero or why he should be considered as one. The main issue that I would like to tackle on is the hatred.
The hatred posts, the foul language, the debates between friends, strangers and family members on this issue is using up a lot of energy- energy that could have been used to talk about new projects for the country. Energy that could have been used for self-development.
The issue is not whether he is a hero or not, but what is this hatred doing to everyone? Social media is a useful tool if maximized-- but in pursuing the endless debate on whether he should be buried or not is causing much hate to resurface.
The hate that will not propel anyone to move on, perhaps this is the reason why Duterte wants the man laid to rest- so we could all move on and face this new administration and the major challenges the country is facing.
At times, activism will have its own share of evils-- I was once a hardcore activist who thought that I needed to defend my ideas at the cost of my family and friends. I once thought that the only way of saving the world was to jump inside the fence and get shot in the head- to prove that what I was fighting for--could change the world.
When you are put in the position of participating into activist groups--you begin to have a sense of entitlement, you start learning more, reading more--thinking that somehow since you are in the path of knowledge--that it is wisdom in itself..but is it?
I remember the 2012 protest for the 182 trees in Baguio. I dedicated almost 2 years of my life to further that cause together with Baguio residents and activisits who are supporting it--only to realize in 2014 that I have become such a hateful individual--so hateful, so vengeful that the mere mention of SM would cause me to hurl negative words--on social media I kept on posting hateful comments, posts that were not in any way providing encouragement--is this the kind of person I want to be...was I really leading people to something useful in the long run?
So hateful that if one of my family member steps inside the mall--I would renounce them all at once. I did my personal boycott for 3years of all SM shopping malls only to realize that the people I have been protesting with--the leaders of top activist organizations have been lounging around in SM far much longer than the average person.
They just prepare the posters for the protests, bring their guitars and microphones--then go and have their coffee inside the mall just the same. They have recruited a lot of people to join the hatred party--- some of my friends left their homes and went in the mountains to train themselves on how to hold a gun--did I want the same thing for myself?
This got me thinking---is activism and my hatred really solving the Philippines--or was my ego the very thing that was hindering me from making an actual contribution to my community--
Is my loneliness at some point the reason why I hated so many things-- was my despair and confusion as a teenager the reason why I involved myself in issues that did not really bring awareness to my soul.
I am not saying that activism is not right or that it did not bring in any changes--if done correctly, using the right methods, focus and goal--it can help pass laws and resolve issues that are beneficial for many.
But a cause that is too personal and filled with hatred will not do any good. Anything that contains hate-- cannot produce joy--and awareness...anything that encourages you to think that you are better than another person, anything that encourages you to demean others, anything that encourages you to further on battles that are not necessary---are not useful for personal growth.
We are, in most sense facing this personal battle within ourselves---and a life lived in hatred, an advocacy lived in hatred--will only end in despair.
After 3 years of boycott I decided to enter the SM malls again, not because I think that the Sy family is a good corporation but because I did not want to be consumed by my limitations---and my hatred for the world--
I had to realize at some point that there is good in everything and it was only the limits of my mind that disabled me from seeing it.
I could do better things, I could inspire more people--I could reach out to and produce creativity--but not in the way of hatred-- anything that wants to achieve beauty cannot remain in the dark.
There is a tendency for activists to go to radical activism, a lot of issues in the Philippines are surfacing out and we could see a lot of radical activists --- most of these radical ideas believe that it is necessary to turn into revolution-- a violent one in order to attain change...but will it.
Is the hatred for Marcos--- and is the hatred for any other kind going to solve it. The same goes for the issues raised with the Duterte administration--- will our continued focus on the negatives of every administration bring us the growth that we need--or should we be talking more about information and economic growth.
Filipinos tend to get stuck in one particular issue at a time, drawing intense energy that is needed. This is not only for the Marcos funeral issue but for everything else in the country.
Truth be told, I began to realize that despite being an activist in the past--I must not think of myself as superior to the masses-- when you constantly attack and berate and take on the role of the activist criticizing everything that is wrong--does it really lead you to fruitful changes for the future?
Most activists I know got stuck in hatred---and those that have succeeded--- are the one who have attained power for themselves and influence. most of them ran for office anyway---
Can't we talk about Spiritual Activism instead?
All Action is Based on Compassion
When championing a Cause, the mindset must be altruistic and the motivating emotion must be positive. Spiritual Activism is action for the benefit of something, not against something.
The question of transforming oneself before transforming the world...
I once thought that marching with my fellow students, waving the flag against capitalism, thinking that we will change the world by protests scream and heated discussions-- I was always anti- anything capitalism, fascism, whoever the President is--no matter what they did always seemed useless to me--I believed that by marching in anger I will emancipate the world.
What happened was I only ended up hating more people in the process, more enemies surfaced----it took a while to realize that the only change I really needed to solve was inside myself...that as long as I carried that much anger and blame--then it was impossible to change anything outside of myself.
This led me to search for the questions of my soul...how do I become a better and much more peaceful person inside. How will I see life as a beauty in itself--how would I transform every day life into a spring of joy and happiness?
I have encountered this quote--- which was beneficial for me... " You have to first clean up your own house before you can help anybody else" the transformation I was looking for needed to happen inside of me.
The path is not easy for spiritual activism, but we need to find how to understand life with its great joy and happiness--instead of a constant source of pain and anguish.
To be more effective as a person we need to open our real hearts--so that we can act more authentic and less reactive--- as long as we are just merely reacting to somebody, someone or an event..it means we are just caught up and we need to create less entanglement and mess--- so that we can produce good intentions and a real positive effect.
Search Out Viable and Sustainable Solutions
Seek out solutions that maintain or restores the dignity of individual human and their communities. Solutions that become self sustaining.
“Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”
~ Jesus